Fate Zero: Blade Sanctuary
by ariados26
Summary: She was ready to die, to give herself up willingly, to save her brother. Yet there was someone who refused to accept that it was her fate to be nothing more than a sacrifice. And thus she was given a second chance, a chance to finally find happiness. Or is it? Will she finally be able to find happiness? Or is she doomed to always end up living a life of misery? Pairings undecided.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fate/Stay Night, Tsukihime, Kara no Kyoukai, or any of the stories of Type-Moon, except for the plot I cooked up based from their novels, and is written purely for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

_I am the temple of my swords._

_Warm is my heart, yet frozen is my soul._

_I have chanted over a thousand prayers._

_Bringer of justice, defender of innocents._

_Protector of the ones I love._

_And so I trudge forward._

_This is a path I shall not regret._

_So aid me in my goal, I beseech you, aid me in my quest._

_Awaken from your slumber._

_My Sanctuary of Blades._

* * *

**PROLOGUE  
**

"No, you won't die, Shirou. Because I'm the one that's going to shut the gate." A female voice declared calmly, yet determinedly.

She knew that what she was about to do would mean her end, yet in truth, it did not really bother her that much. After all, controlling and manipulating the Holy Grail had been the centuries-old wish of the Einzbern family, and she was one of the homunculi specifically created, and modified, to serve as its vessel. Well, at least the last two parts were true.

Since unlike her 'sisters,' she was special, for even though it was true that her body had undergone cruel experimentation, she came into the world, unlike any others of her kind, born from the love between her parents. Parents, who abandoned her to her fate. Parents, who chose the greater good over the well-being of their daughter.

"Hey. Do you want to live Shirou? Do you want to live on, no matter what kind of life you become?"

The boy, however, who obviously no longer had the power of speech due to the damage he received from using the Heroic Spirit's left arm, could only nod in response, driven by his instinct.

Yet it only lasted a second. For in the next moment.

"Il..."

His face contorted in worry, retracting, denying, his own wish to survive, unwilling, knowing, the price to be paid for him to able to continue on living.

"Yeah, I'm glad to hear that. I wanted you to live instead of me."

The girl, however ignored it, whatever refusal he tried to voice out, for his protests actually served only to strengthen her resolve.

Yes, the girl had suffered, and led a sad life, a miserable existence.

She hated her father for choosing his ideals over his family.

She loathed her mother for going along with Kiritsugu's wishes.

She detested Shirou because her father chose him over her.

Yes, she loved them, yet at the same time, she hated her parents, and at the beginning, she also hated the boy, who was now a young man. Still, it had nothing to do with her grandfather's conditioning, for just like her father, she was strong-willed. No, she hated them out of her own free will and judgement.

And right now, she still hated them, that fact did not change. She still despised them, and she believed that while her mother deserved her fate, despite the pain he must have gone through because of the slow and painful death the dark mud from the Grail gave him, he did not deserve the peaceful end he met, and should have received much worse.

And yet, here she was, the daughter of the ones who left her and let her suffer, willingly walking to her own death, not to save the world from evil, not to fulfil the long time wish of the Einzberns, but instead, she was here, prepared to sacrifice her life, to save her younger brother. The boy, who her father had raised, the boy who he had loved and cared for, instead of his own flesh and blood, the boy, who had stolen her father away from her.

For the boy, the boy was different from them. The boy had been hell-bent on following the same path as his father, the path towards becoming a hero, the path that led towards his ideals.

Yet he did not continue to pursue it. He had stopped going for the impossible dream. Instead of choosing to save the many by sacrificing the few, he decided to throw it all away, and followed his heart instead. She may not fully approve of the woman he chose, believing that her brother in all but blood deserved someone better but the fact remained, he was different from her... from _their_... father.

"Then I'll show you a miracle. It's an application of the magic I showed you earlier, but this one's amazing. This is the sorcery everyone wanted to see after all."

"Il...ya..."

"But the container's a bit cheap. I can't reproduce it using only my own body, but it's alright. You'll be back in no time if you and Rin keep trying."

"Don't... y... die... Il... ya... Ilya..."

"Goodbye. We aren't related by blood. But I'm glad were siblings."

"Pl... come... ba... I... ya... ILYA!"

"No. You said an older brother protects his younger sister, right? Yeah, I'm the older sister. So I have to protect my younger brother."

She smiles as she walked toward the center of the circle, facing the corrupted Grail, prepared to sacrifice herself.

Yes, there was no stopping her, for the love which she felt for her brother had won over her hate, and nothing anyone did or say will ever be able to stop her.

"It's time," the girl whispered to herself, as she started to close the Gate.

Yes, she knew the price she had to pay for the ritual, which was nothing other than her entire existence, body, mind and soul, yet it did not really bother her that much.

And as she was engulfed in a bright white light, which shone brightly, pushing back the darkness that came from Angra Mainyu, the girl closed her eyes, and allowed it the Grail to take her, without a tinge of regret. For all that mattered, was that with her sacrifice, she was able to save Shirou. She was able to save her brother, the person she cared for the most in the world.

And thus, having lost consciousness, as she slowly began to fade away, having used her own body to preserve her brother's, she did not know, she did not stay awake long enough to hear another voice, which echoed throughout the collapsing cavern.

"No, you won't disappear, Ilya," the spectre clad in red, with tanned skin and white hair declared in his usual cynical tone. "I'll be damned before I let that happen."

"Tch! I failed to protect you countless times, both in life and after. I may just be a copy of my original self, but I swear. this time, I will not fail. Even if it costs me everything..."

"I will save you..."

* * *

**CHAPTER 1  
**

"WINNNER, FUJIMURA, YUKI!"

And as the referee announced the results, tremors could be felt throughout the entire gymnasium of Homurahara Gakuen High School, as the student population clapped and cheered loudly, praising the girl who had managed to accomplish the impossible, to defeat the supposedly greatest sword wielder in the school, who was none other than...

Her older sister, Fujimura Taiga, who was currently lying unconscious on the floor.

"YUKI! YUKI! YUKI! YUKI!"

And the school's population, as a whole, could not help but celebrate at the turn of events. For finally, after a long time, someone succeeded in putting her in her place. True, they never would have guessed that it would be her imouto, of all people to be able to do it, but it did not matter to them. All they knew, was that the Tiger's reign of terror had come to an end.

And with the bet the two had agreed upon in the presence of many witnesses, they knew for sure, that the days would become peaceful once again.

At least, that was what they thought. For in the years to come, they will eventually realize just how mistaken they actually were...

**xxxXXXxxx**

"Please, give it back."

"No."

"Please."

"Not a chance."

It was a nice weekend afternoon in the Fujimura residence, and currently, the head of the family, Raiga Fujimura, could not help but look on in amusement, as the two girls, his two granddaughters, continued bickering in the yard, the elder of the two practically begging the younger one to give back her most valuable possession. Naturally, the younger of the two refused to return it, having won the particular item on proper terms, something which the old man must admit, was a good thing. For the particular item which Yuki managed to win off Taiga...

Was her legendary demonic sword, the infamous Tora Shinai...

And indeed, ever since that cursed bamboo sword had mysteriously come into existence, it had caused a lot of problems for the yakuza boss, for its wielder, his granddaughter Taiga, had been putting it to good use, which means that she had been using it to beat up and chase away boys who were after, not Taiga, but her imouto, who was really popular and idolized by many in the school they went to.

Normally Raiga would have preferred sending his men out to beat the boy to a pulp, but since Taiga was doing such a good job at it, he decided to let them be.

Besides, it was not as if she needed protection, for while Yuki had a cheerful and carefree nature, she also had a cruel side to her which surfaces whenever she was pissed off or feeling particularly sadistic, the first sign of which, of course, was the very, very sweet smile which appears on her face. She may be good natured most of the time, but in reality she was even stronger, and could potentially be more brutal than her sister.

Not to mention the fact that the girl possessed some strange abilities.

And as he thought about it, the old yakuza could not help but shudder, as he remembered a particular incident, when he heard her granddaughter screaming for help. Panicking, the old man immediately rushed to the scene with his katana in hand, ready to chop to bits whoever it was who to attacked his family.

What he saw when he got there, however, were his own men, about a dozen of them, clutching at their precious jewels, half of them falling to their knees in agony, having received a powerful kick to their nuts, simply because one of them accidentally saw her in nothing but her towel when she was coming out of the bathroom. Raiga actually wanted to punish his men for the act even though it was unintentional, but seeing the sorry state they were in, the old man was filled with pity and allowed to let it pass.

"Please, I'll do anything you want," the thirteen year old Taiga begged, grabbing Yuki by her leg.

And as the old man noticed, it was actually hard to believe that she was the older of the two.

It had been four years since then, the old man reminisced, four years since that fateful night, when their paths crossed.

Raiga, at the time, had just been to the Ryudou Temple to try and find some peace of mind. For he, along with his men, had massacred the Kurosawa group, down to the last member, even the women and children.

Yes, Raiga, as well as the members of his group, were not cruel people by nature, and in fact, while they were yakuzas, unlike in the olden days, they normally did not hurt the innocent, and in fact, while they still held arms, the group actually focused more on business, none of which included illegal trade like drugs. Anything they dealt with now, at least officially, were all legitimate, and in the past decade, there had only been one exception.

A few years before, when Raiga's granddaughter Taiga was just two years old, her parents had been met with a tragic accident, in which the car they had been riding fell off a cliff, which of course led to their deaths. However, the old yakuza knew for sure that it was no mere accident, and by a bit of investigation, he managed to pinpoint the people who were responsible for it, the Kurosawa Group. Naturally, since they were powerful, as well as an ally of the Fujimuras, Raiga decided to continue the facade of ignorance, while in reality he was plotting his revenge, slowly setting things in motion to bring about their downfall, looking for the right timing, and after nearly a decade of patient waiting, the perfect opportunity presented itself, when the Kurosawa group held a grand party where all of its members were present.

To some people, the slaughter would have probably been considered cruel, brutal, and immoral. However, Raiga knew, that the only way for his family, his group, to become safe, is if that particular opposition was annihilated, and should one be left alive, there was always the chance that they would rise up to take vengeance, and thus the cycle of hatred would continue, even though it was the Kurosawas who started it in the first place.

Still, even though he firmly believed that 'the end justified the means,' even though there wasn't a single shred of evidence that could be traced back to them, Raiga had been riddled by guilt because of what they had done. It was for the sake of his family, yet it still weighed heavily on his conscience.

And that was when he first ran into her, a child, collapsed on the stairs of the Ryudou Temple, wearing a white dress which was marred crimson, by what seemed to be her own blood. Feeling his heart melt at the sight instead of horror, Raiga immediately had his men carry the girl to a nearby hospital.

"Anything?" the silver-haired twelve year old female asked in a quiet voice.

"Yes, anything!" the elder sister pleaded, tears forming around her large, beady, brown puppy dog eyes. "What do you want me to do?"

"I see, then in that case, Onee-san..." the younger girl said, as her lips curled up into a malicious smirk as she leaned in towards her sister, whispering something in her ear which made Taiga gulp nervously, while sending a chill to Raiga's spine, who was watching everything from the distance.

Normally, when someone did something to annoy the older Fujimura sister, she would usually explode in rage, her temper getting the better of her. When it comes to dealing with her imouto, however, as the old man observed that she had better control of her anger, though he could not help but suspect it was partly because the younger of the two always held something over her head, and was thus forced to do so by circumstance.

"Sir, they have arrived," whispered a voice to Raiga's ear.

"Good," the old yakuza replied. "Tell them I'll be there in five minutes."

Knowing how things would turn out between the two, the head of the Fujimura group walked towards his room to change his attire, before going to the meeting hall, where he would face his business associates, discussing the usual affairs.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Fujimura Yuki, the adopted younger sister of Fujimura Taiga and adopted granddaughter of Raiga Fujimura. Normally, given the fact that the girl's parents were already dead, it should not have been possible. But since Raiga, their grandfather, had a lot of connections, it was made possible, by pulling a few strings. Yuki of course, knew this for a fact, though it was not as if she cared about it, nor did she mind that they were yakuzas.

For to her, what was important, was not what was written on paper, but rather, it was the love and kindness that she was given by her adoptive family, who took her in and accepted her, as if she was one of their own.

Yuki, it was the name that was given to her by her grandfather Raiga, and he told her that it fitted her perfectly, for her hair was silvery-white, and her skin was pale, just like snow.

Amnesia, or loss of memory, was a condition which Yuki had. For she had no recollection whatsoever, of who she was before, and the first nine or ten years of her life was nothing but a blank. And the first thing she remembered was waking up in the hospital, and the first two people she saw were her grandfather and her elder sister, who, at the time, was being whacked on the head by the old man with a newspaper, telling her to keep quiet.

Yes, Yuki wanted to know her identity. However, no matter how they tried, the doctors and psychiatrists, that were hired to help her had not been able to do anything. Still, while it was true that she wanted to remember, for she could not help but feel that had forgotten something important, after a few months of fruitless effort, she told her grandfather that it would be best that they stop on the sessions, telling them that the present was more important than the past, and that if she was meant to remember, it would come back to her eventually. If she does not regain her memories, then it would still be fine as well. She decided that it would be best to focus on the present, on the here and now.

"IT'S HER! IT'S THE WHITE DEMON!"

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

Though as of the moment, as she passed through the school gates, and found some of the students running away from her as if she was the plague, the present was not exactly the time where she wanted to be.

It had been a month since then, since the legendary duel, when Fujimura Taiga, the Tiger of Fuyuki, had fallen, defeated, in an epic battle, by her, the Tiger's younger sister. And in that span of time, so many things had changed, changes, which the silver-haired female was not particularly happy about. Changes, which did not exactly have anything to do with that particular duel, at least not directly, although when it comes right down to it, Yuki was sure that it had stemmed out starting from that point.

A couple of weeks before, a new student, Kai Mizaki, had transferred to Moburahara High School. He was a nice young man, who, Yuki must admit, had the looks, the manner, and the charm of a perfect gentleman. True, she was not interested in him, but to be honest, with the way he looked and moved around, it was not surprising that he managed to get quite a following of girls in just two week.

And it was also the exact span of time that he lasted in the school, for after only two week, he had transferred to a school in Hokkaido, having just left the day before, due to a certain... _incident._

Normally, it would not have been that strange. True, many of the young man's new fan girls would have been disappointed, but such an occurrence does indeed happen occasionally. Him leaving was not the problem, the reason _why _he was leaving is.

The official report was that Kai's family, wanting him to live with her elder sister, believed that it was best for him to transfer. However, the true reason why he had to leave, was something else.

Yes, on the surface, Kai had seemed like a kind-hearted person. In truth, however, as Yuki realized, he was exactly the opposite. For the real reason why he transferred to Fuyuki...

Was in order for him to recruit people for the Misaki Yakuza Group.

And naturally, this made the young man take an interest in Taiga, who was rumoured to be a strong fighter, until of course he heard of the duel, which made him turn his sights on Yuki as well, and wanted to collect them and make them his women.

Yes, Yuki knew that she was blame for this particular predicament. In truth, she never really had any intention of showing her prowess in swordsmanship. However, she and her elder sister, through the orchestration of their classmates, had been tricked into doing it. For whoever between them managed to win, would be given a one-year unlimited meal ticket to a high class all-you-can-eat-buffet restaurant.

True, Yuki did not really care about the fate of the boys who were beaten by Taiga, whether or not they deserved it, or her tyrannical reputation. She was, however, interested in winning the ticket, which sadly, was only meant for one-person use only, and can neither be lent nor borrowed.

And so, with food at stake, the two sisters in all but blood, forgot the sibling bond they shared, and engaged each other in combat, a sword fight which Yuki won.

Having heard of the rumours of their strength, the boy tried to hit on them. Had she and Taiga been like most girls, they would have probably become interested. However, they were not most girls, and were not the kind who would easily fall for such shallow and petty flattery.

At first, he tried being nice, trying to coax them into hanging out with him, a futile attempt. Then, when he realized that it would not work, he tried to threaten them, proudly boasting that he was the heir of his so-called group, and that if they did not agree, he would ask his father to destroy the Fujimura's, a comment which only made Taiga snort, and Yuki giggle. For they knew that their group held much more power and influence than the Misakis.

Seeing that they won't budge, Kai took things to a different level, and thus, decided that he would take them by force. Deciding to use some of his power, the Misaki heir, together with some of his men proceeded to kidnap them instead, picking Taiga as their first target. Knowing of their weakness when it comes to food, the boy succeeded in drugging her, by mixing some sleeping pills in the cupcake which he offered the elder Fujimura sister. And Taiga, who was not as careful as her younger sister, fell for it.

Unfortunately for Kai, however, this was the last straw for Yuki, whose patience finally snapped, and before he and his men could so much as take Taiga out of the school, who they tried to smuggle out by placing her inside of a box, Yuki caught up with them and beat them, all ten of them, to a bloody pulp, all by herself.

And what happened was shocking to the Kai. For the men he had brought with him were among the elites, all of them, based from the skills they have shown, black belts in karate. Being a schemer herself when she wanted to, Yuki knew that the boy probably had intel on them. Sadly for the Misaki heir, however, he made two grave miscalculations.

First, was underestimating his opponent's abilities. Yuki knew that the Misaki heir had been watching Taiga's practice session, and had been assessing her skills. Being a skilled martial artist himself, Kai probably calculated their fighting levels based on what he saw. Unfortunately for him, however, he had absolutely no idea how strong Yuki actually is. It was true that he had been careful, but unknown to him, the silver-haired female had always been holding back... a lot.

Second, was the bond she had with her sister. Even Yuki herself did not know how it was possible, yet for some reason, she did not have any trouble finding her elder sister, always knowing where she was. And she always knew, she could sense, whenever Taiga was in danger. And this particular connection they had, was one which worked both ways.

Still, the incident did end without too much hassle. For the Fujimuras happened to be well-acquainted and was in very good terms with the local authorities. Aside from that, there were plenty of eyewitnesses and evidence, which was enough to ensure that the Misakis could not demand anything, and instead, they were the ones who ended up paying for their heir's action. Raiga himself settled the negotiations, and thus, it was decided, to avoid conflict, that Kai Misaki was to set free, provided that he, as well as any member of the Misaki group, would never set foot in Fuyuki, or any Fujimura-controlled territory, again.

Unfortunately for Yuki though, she was the one who ended up suffering the consequences, as her schoolmates were among the witnesses.

Yes, they already knew that she was strong. However, they had always seen her as the cheerful and friendly student who excelled at both academics and athletics, but never joined any of the clubs, yet still found the time to help out whenever she could, especially when it comes to fixing things.

A month before, even though she defeated Taiga, their views of her had not exactly changed by much. Yuki was the Tiger's sister after all, so they had already half-expected her to be handy with the blade.

During her fight with Taiga, while it was true that Yuki did not take it too lightly, it was just a friendly match, and therefore she did not have any hostility towards her opponent.

When she faced off against Kai and his goons the week before, though, she was completely and absolutely pissed, and her hostile intent was washing off her in waves, which was probably the reason why those who had witnessed it had completely changed their opinion about her.

In truth, Yuki had absolutely no idea where she learned it from, although it comes to her naturally. Yet for some reason, whenever she was angry, and had every intention to harm others, those who are within close proximity to her could literally feel her rage, which was enough to cow even the bravest among them. Her enemies, her sister's abductors, had been intimidated enough that for a moment, before their battle commenced, they actually froze. Even Taiga herself, who was already awake at the time, even though she recovered rather quickly, had actually been afraid of her.

And now, Yuki's image has been ruined. Well, it's not as if she was trying to maintain one anyway, since she had always believed that it was best to be herself, but for her to be pegged as a violent person, who is at an even higher level than her sister, was just too much.

During first period, the rumours said that she had beaten ten hoodlums with her bamboo sword all by herself.

During second period, the story changed, as the number increased to twenty.

Then, during third period, it increased to fifty.

And by the time the bell rang for the last period of the day, the rumours changed once again, and this time the tale was that Yuki had beaten a motorcycle gang consisting of two hundred fifty members members, cutting them down to size with a katana, and leaving them lying in a pool of blood, their body parts splattered everywhere.

"ONEE-SAN!"

"KYAA... Oh, Yuki-chan, what are you doing here?" Taiga inquired, finding herself wrapped in a tight hug by her sister.

"Let's go to KARAOKE!" Yuki told her older sister cheerfully, as she continued to huddle her. Having spent the entire day under such torment, the silver-haired female decided that it would be best to go have some fun to vent out her stress.

**xxxXXXxxx**

"Mission accomplished."

Night was about to fall, and currently, a woman in her twenties was walking on the streets of Shinto district, feeling pleased with herself for completing her objective. And that particular objective, was to update her map of Fuyuki City, which she had been doing so on a monthly basis. The woman knew that it was vital to her goal, or rather, the goal of the one she loved. After all, in any war, it was always best to be familiar with the terrain, so that it can be utilized to their advantage.

The man, who was her lover, was the one who raised her and trained her to become his assistant, his tool, in fulfilling his goals. In a way, from other people's perspective, such a thing might be considered cruel, but the woman did not really mind, even though his heart belonged to another, and that they were lovers in a purely sexual context only. It may be one-sided, but as long as he was happy, as long as he succeeds, she was content.

His heart may belong to someone else, yet the woman knew that the man, while he never showed his emotions and only kept treating her like a tool, also cared deeply for her, even though his feelings for her, while they did share a bed, was more of a love towards a friend or family member.

Of course, that did not mean that she was not jealous of the person who had his heart, yet she decided not to let it get the better, not just because he wanted the man to be happy, but also because she had come to see and love her, even though she never said it in the open, like a sister.

"WATCH OUT!"

"?!"

With her quick reflexes that she had acquired through her years as a soldier, the woman immediately dodged out of the way, as something blurred past her, cursing herself inwardly for her own carelessness. True, she managed to dodge, but she knew that she should not have allowed her thoughts wander and allow herself to be distracted, as something like a slight distraction, even if it was for less than a second, could be fatal in the middle of a battle. They may not be in a war at the moment, but she knew, that in a few months' time, they will be fighting in a secret war between mages. She needed to keep herself sharp and alert.

"Ow-"

Still, even though she was a soldier who had good control over her emotions, it did not mean that she was so insensitive as to ignore what happened. The man she accompanied after all, was someone who wanted to become a 'hero of justice,' and while it was true that he was cold and calculating most of the time, he still showed his soft side from time.

"Are you alright?" the woman with short black hair asked, as she the girl, who was currently sitting on the pavement, rubbing her backside.

"Yes, I'm okay Ma'm," the girl replied, accepting the hand which the woman offered her. "I'm sorry for the trouble."

"No, it's f..."

And then, the woman froze. She may have a lot of control over her emotions, yet she was unable to stop her brown eyes from widening slightly, shocked by what she saw.

"Good, it's not damaged," the girl was muttering to herself, as she got back up and brushed the dust of her clothes before mounting her ride, looking back for a moment, giving a quick nod of apology, before speeding off.

For in front of her, stood a girl, about twelve or thirteen years of age, wearing the school uniform of Homurahara High School, and who was riding a scooter despite being underage. What surprised her, however, was not this detail, but rather it was because the girl...

...looked like a younger version of her lover's wife, with her pale skin, silver hair, and ruby-red eyes.

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...  
**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, this is the first chapter of my new fic, a Fate/Stay Night and (slight)Tsukihime Crossover, the Queen of Blades. Now, as I think you should know, I really am a fan of Type-Moon stories, especially Fate/Stay Night. And it is for this particular reason that I decided to write this one. I have to say though it's not easy. This one though is set during Fate/Zero, the Fourth Holy Grail War, and this story will focus on Yuki Fujimura.

Note: Since it's only a slight crossover, my friends told me that I should post this in the Fate/Stay Night main section instead.

Yuki Fujimura, I'm sure you can already guess who she is, and yes, she is not an OC. This particular fic is actually another typical example of the never-ending-story philosophy, when the end is also a new beginning.

So yeah, this is the start of my new fic, the Queen of Blades. I hope you like it.

As for the prologue part though, I actually took a large chunk of it from the Visual Novel, since it's based on the Heaven's Feel Route True End, with some changes.

By the way, due to the insistence of my friends, I decided to change her name from 'Ayame' to 'Yuki,' since they said it had more impact. Originally, I wanted to make her name Ayame(and when I first posted this, it really was Fujimura Ayame not Fujimura Yuki) since the name Ayame was sort of an antithesis to a certain someone but then... well, we shall see.

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fate/Stay Night, Tsukihime, Kara no Kyoukai, or any of the stories of Type-Moon, except for the plot I cooked up based from their novels, and is written purely for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

_I am the temple of my swords._

_Warm is my heart, yet frozen is my soul._

_I have chanted over a thousand prayers._

_Bringer of justice, defender of innocents._

_Protector of the ones I love._

_And so I trudge forward._

_This is a path I shall not regret._

_So aid me in my goal, I beseech you, aid me in my quest._

_Awaken from your slumber._

_My Sanctuary of Blades._

* * *

**CHAPTER 2**

_She was standing at the middle of it all once again, in the center of that strange hill._

_An endless array of blades littered the entire scenery._

_The world is inorganic, and there are no living things._

_The ashen wind courses through the forest of swords._

_The swords stand like trees in a forest._

_It's not just ten or twenty._

_Not a hundred of two hundred._

_No matter how many there are, if it is impossible for them to be counted, it might as well be infinite._

_Burning fire and turning cogwheels in the sky._

_Like a steel manufacturing factory._

_Yet the fire from it gives off no heat._

_From the heavens flakes of snow were falling._

_Yet the snow, instead of cold, felt warm._

_A field of swords without owners extends to the horizon of the white desert._

_Many of the blades in the ground are famous._

_The tools are rusting without anybody to use them._

_A ruin of infinite swords._

**xxxXXXxxx**

"That dream again..."whispered a silver-haired girl to herself, as she opened her eyes and sat up on her bed,unnerved and disoriented, feeling that she was forgetting something important.

Forgetting something though, was probably the understatement of the century. For she, Fujimura Yuki, had lost a decade's worth of memories, and everything before she had woken up at that hospital, before she had been taken in by Raiga, her adoptive grandfather, was blank.

And the only thing she could think of that could have a connection to her past was that dream. For it was the one dream, the one vision, which she believed could be the key to unlocking her identity. When she told Raiga about it, he simply dismissed it, telling her that it probably had something to do with her like for swordplay, something which she and Taiga shared. However, Yuki was convinced that she was right.

For the vision of the hill visited her every single night of her life, and unlike the other fantasies she had when she slumbers, no matter what other dreams she had, the vision of the hill of swords was always among them, and it was clearer and more vivid than the others.

Questions, so many questions had been forming in her head, yet she had no answer. She was none the wiser.

"KYAAA!"

When it comes right down to it though, Yuki knew, that not even the vision of the hill of swords could be clearer or more vivid than the vision which entered her head, caused by the voice which had screamed, a scream which was accompanied by a crashing noise, the familiar sound of kitchen utensils.

"Onee-san..." sighed Yuki to herself, shaking her head, before she forced herself out of bed.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Saturdays and Sundays, like most students, was Yuki's favourite time of the week. For it was a time of peace, a time of resting the mind, to get away from the usual hustle and bustle of school life.

At least, that was how things should have been.

For a person who someone like Yuki's sister as their housemate, peace was nothing but a mere fantasy.

It had been three months since then, since Yuki moved out of the Fujimura main house and started living with her sister, in a small house which also belonged to the family. Due to Taiga's epic record of getting late, Raiga, their grandfather, had had enough of the complaints and letters coming from the school, and decided that the best solution would be for her to stay at a location that was closer to the school. The original plan was actually for Taiga to live there on her own, as it would also help her to become independent and self-reliant.

Sadly, even though Homurahara was just a three to five minute walk from the place, the Tiger of Fuyuki's tardiness streak still continued, and thus, left with no other choice, Raiga decided to send Yuki, who was the more responsible of the two, to stay with her, something which Yuki was not happy about.

Well, it was not as if she hated her sister though, and in fact, she actually cared a lot for Taiga. Feelings of love and affection aside though, living under the same roof with someone like Taiga was... impractical.

When they were still staying at the Fujimura main house, these little things were not that much of a problem, since there were maids and helpers who were around to take of the daily tasks like cleaning, something which Yuk inwardly liked, for like Taiga, doing petty chores was something the silver-haired female was not particularly fond of.

Still, even though a part of her felt this way, unlike her elder sister, Yuki did not allow herself to slack off. True, she liked and preferred to laze around, since there were servants around who were there to do everything for them. But at the same time, she also liked being praised and commended for her actions, which was why Yuki had taken it upon herself to help up whenever she can, and as time passed, she had become used to it, that her act was no longer an act. Helping out had already become part of her common routine.

And in these small endeavours of hers, Yuki learned that she had talent when it comes to cooking.

"YUKI!"

Which unfortunately, was something which her older sister, Taiga, did not have, who was literally...

...a disaster in the kitchens...

"Onee-san? What happened here?" Yuki asked her older sister in a gentle voice, as she entered the room.

"UUWAAAAH!" the older girl cried, as she rushed towards Yuki and buried her head in her bosom, her tears soaking the her younger sister's skirt. "I w-was –hiccup- j-just trying to –hiccup-b-brew s-some cho-cho-colate when... I d-don't know what to do- it's just when I put in some milk... and t-then everything went bubbly..."

Yuki though, after assessing the situation for a few seconds, already had a very good idea of what caused the disaster. Apparently, Taiga, who thought it was a good idea to use similar containers for the different powders in the house, mistook the washing detergent for milk powder. The fact that the adjacent room which served as the kitchen was covered in brown bubbles was a dead giveaway.

"Don't worry, Onee-san," Yuki told Taiga, as she gently led her distraught sister to a nearby chair. "I'll take care of it."

Had it been anyone else who was forced to endure the eccentricities of Fujimura, they would have not been able to last, and would have probably lost it, and would probably get really angry or flee. They would not be able to stand her.

To Yuki, however, having lived with the Tiger for as long as she could remember, situations like the one they were in as of present was a normal occurrence, and thus, it was easy for her to remain calm and composed.

If there was anyone in the world who could stand living alone with the Tiger of Fuyuki, it would be none other than her younger sister.

**xxxXXXxxx**

"... and then, after you finish, put the mixture into the mold and into the furnace."

"Hai," the class answered in unison.

Homeroom education classes had always been one of Yuki's favourite subjects. For some reason, she had always been naturally attuned to culinary arts, and usually get top marks. In a sense, she was the exact opposite of her older sister Taiga, who was abysmal when it comes to said subject.

"YUKI, THE CAKE'S BURNING!"

"?!"

"QUICKLY! THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER!"

Today though, unlike usual, things were not going her way. And for the first time in history, Fujimura Yuki got an abysmal mark in the subject, in such an epic fashion.

"Ms. Fujimura, are you feeling alright?"the teacher asked in a worried voice after the class was over.

"Don't worry about me,Higurashi-sensei, I'm fine," Yuki replied to the female homeroom education teacher politely, as she stifled a yawn. "I'm...just feeling a bit tired these days."

"Well, don't push yourself too hard, okay, Ms. Fujimura," the teacher told her with a motherly smile. "I can tell you're studying real hard for the honor roll, but it's better if you don't overdo things."

"Hai, sensei," the silver-haired female replied, as they left the classroom together, before parting ways, as the teacher went towards the faculty room, while Yuki headed in another direction, ready to head home, to get some well deserved rest. Unknown to the teacher, however, the reason why she was out of it was because of something else.

Ever since Yuki's brutal and sadistic side had been revealed, her life had a lot of turnarounds. True, her closest acquaintances and most of her classmates did not really view her differently, but many in the school, especially those who had witnessed her 'epic battle,' had begun to avoid her, and they had even calling her various names.

'White Demon,' 'Terror of Moburahara,' 'White Tiger of Fuyuki,' but the dub they had for her that became the most popular, or notorious, depending on perspective, was 'White Fang,' a nickname for her which they had stuck and settled for.

Unlike before, things had already settled down well enough that the ones who previously ran away screaming when they saw her no longer did so, but many still avoided her.

Still, while it did bother her at first, Yuki found her situation to be to her advantage. For starters, the number of students who ask for her help on various things, usually their assignment had decreased, which was actually a relief. The girls who were part of Kai's fanclub, while they had been angry, and continued on their delusional view of who was to blame for what happened, were too cowardly to terrified to do anything to Yuki or her sister, who was a terrifying person herself.

Besides, it was not as though she had hurt anyone who did not deserve, so while many were now intimidated by Yuki just as much as, or even more than her older sister, while they did give her the nickname 'White Fang,' most of them had gone back to treating her as they did before the incident, although Yuki could not help but notice a few of them wince from time to time whenever made some gestures, like narrowing her eyes.

As for the teachers, while it was true that they heard the rumour, none of them had ever treated her any different, since Yuki always made sure to behave herself inside the classroom and all her subjects except for physical education, where she employs her more outgoing persona.

So yes, things were going well in the school. Even though they probably will never completely go back to the way they were, at least the air around the school felt light again.

Unfortunately, out of the many changes brought about by bringing out the cat in the bag, there were two, which Yuki found irritating...

One of them, was the emergence of rivals and adversaries. Before, when she was still laying low, it was her sister Taiga who was receiving them. Now, however, as news of her prowess and sword skill spread throughout the region, it was now Yuki who had the spotlight, and was the one they wanted to fight and challenge.

In the past three months, she had received quite a lot. True, none of them had been able to ambush her out in the open due to the Fujimura control of the territory. However, she had been unable to decline any of the official challenges, especially those which came from members of other yakuza families.

And because of them, her reputation, as well as the reputation of the Fujimura as a whole, increased even further, for she, Fujimura Yuki, had never lost a duel, and her record as of present was thirty wins zero losses, while her sister Taiga had a fifty two wins, one loss record, her only loss being her duel with Yuki.

Raiga, in truth, did not want her to fight, even though they were not to the death and only made sure of wooden swords, for she did not want them to enter his world, and actually wished for them to take different careers instead of being just yakuza or loansharks, but like her older sister, Yukisimply could not refuse them. Taigaaccepted the challenges, because she was someone who enjoyed fights, while Yuki did not reject them so that she could uphold the reputation of her family.

If she were to be more honest with herself, however, Yuki had to admit that she also enjoyed the fights.

As for the second inconvenience which her reputation as the White Fang had garnered her...

"Yuki, I like you, so please go out wi... AAARGH!" a male voice screamed in agony, as he fell to his knees, clutching at the spot where the sun don't shine.

The fact that a certain resident of Ryuudou Temple had taken an interest in her, and in the past three months had become a persistent pest.

Ever since the day Yuki rescued Taiga from the Misaki thugs, many of the boys in school, who had originally been trying to hit on her, started avoiding her. True, she had rejected all of them in a nice way, but before the incident, none of them had been given up, and had still been doing their best to gain her affection.

Of course, with the turn of events, Yuki ended up getting a new group of wooers as well, which of course include delinquents and delinquent wannabes, as well as her challengers, some of whom even going so far as to declare that they had been smitten by her strength and beauty.

In a way it was such a waste, for while it was true that Yuki did not like them in that way, she still loved the fact that they were giving her gifts, especially exquisite food and candies, and thus she had still been able to tolerate them.

Ryuudou Reikain, however, was an exception. For out of all of the boys who showed an interest in her, he was by far the most clingy and annoying.

Having a sister like Taiga, Yuki had actually developed a considerably long patience. And it was because of this tolerance that she had been able to keep her cool even when under pressure.

Sadly, the Ryuudou was very tenacious, as well as one of the few people who Yuki simply could not get along with, and she had to admit, that the guy had an even longer patience than her, although it could be due to his training. He was the son of a monk after all, so it should not really come as a surprise.

Still, he was using his skills in an unmonkly-like fashion, and was just like an annoying leech or fly that simply won't go away.

He had been bruised, hurt, beaten to a pulp, by Taiga, their bodyguards, and understandably, by Yuki as well, and in fact, he had been badly hurt enough three times to end up in the hospital. Yet despite this fact, he was still persistent, and had not given up.

Now, while Yuki must admit that she was impressed by his tenacity, she was only moments away from ending his miserable existence. And since killing was illegal, Yuki knew that there were only two ways for her to handle things.

One, avoid him as much as possible.

Two, if avoiding becomes impossible, incapacitate the monkthen run away like the devil was on her heels. True, Reikan may be a judo expert, but Yuki was skilled enough to be able to penetrate through his defences, and kick him in vital crippling areas, her favourite spot being his 'prized jewels,' which she must admit, made her feel really good.

That morning, however, Ryuudou did something different.

For right after his usual vocal confession (in which Yuki had turned him down a countless number of times), he tried to give her gifts... namely a whip, some chains, shackles and other 'paraphernalia,' in public, all the while shouting the words 'do what you want with me,' and 'please punish me.'

Had Yuki not been able to restrain herself, it would have probably ended, like the exaggerated rumours say, in a bloodbath, with human body parts flying in every direction.

"YUKI, WAIT UP!"

_Crap! Why the hell is he so persistent?!_ the silver-haired female grumbled inwardly, as she saw the judo expert running in her direction, and despite the fact that he was still clutching at his precious knots, he was moving at an incredibly fast pace.

Realizing that there was nothing she could do to stop him, Yuki also quickened her pace into a sprint, in the direction of the Fujimura main house, for she would not have Ryuudou, who believed that Taiga was living there by herself, finding out that she was already living there, for if he did...

...the White Fang could not help but shudder at the thought.

**xxxXXXxxx**

"WEEEEEEE!"

"MISTRESS YUKI! PLEASE COME BACK!"

The girl however, did not respond, either because she was ignoring them on purpose, or else she could not hear their voices over the roar of the engine.

"SEE YOU LATER THEN!" the silver-haired female cried cheerfully.

Before anyone could stop her, the silver-haired left on her... or rather, her grandfather's new motorcycle.

"This is bad," one of the maids muttered, as she, along with her fellow maids and bodyguards of the Fujimura Group, watched the girl speed off into the horizon, an understatement of the line of thought which all of them shared. "This is really bad."

And indeed, things were looking grim for them. Raiga, the head of the family, despite them being yakuzas, was a good natured person who preferred to use nonviolent means over painful ones to achieve his goals. Of course, doing so was not beneath him, but he only ever opted to use force if necessary, like when people who borrowed money from them refused to pay.

Like any normal person, however, the man had his own quirks and hobbies, which include sports, hunting, and, like many outgoing men, old though he was, the head of the Fujimura Group also liked rides, and his favourite happened to be two-wheelers.

And it so happened that one of his granddaughters, namely Yuki Fujimura, shared this particular interest. Having a slightly boyish side to her, the silver-haired female, just like her grandfather, also liked riding motorcycles.

Unlike her grandfather, however, who took great care of his machines, making sure that they are kept well-oiled and maintained, Yuki was a bit... or rather, much more on the abusive side when it comes to her 'toys'.

Well, in a way, she too, took good care of them, but unlike her grandfather, even though both of them loved riding extremely fast, Yuki was a reckless cyclist, and in fact, the scooter which Raiga gave her as a gift only lasted two weeks, before it ended up dysfunctional, meaning it was destroyed when Yuki, who while knowing of the traffic rules, was so engrossed in her fun, did not notice that she was heading right for a truck until it was too late. Fortunately enough, no one was hurt in the incident, for Yuki, with the kendo skills and reflexes she had, managed to jump off just in time to avoid disaster.

Sadly, her ride was not so lucky, and it was crushed beyond repair.

Thus, it came as no surprise when Raiga, who was worried sick and almost had a heart attack because of what happened, decided to become more strict with her, and banned her from riding, a ban which the younger of the Fujimura sisters completely ignored.

And now, just like the other two times, Yuki had taken advantage of the fact that her grandfather was away on business, and snuck out his bike for a ride.

Yes, the maids and bodyguards, who had taken a liking to the girl, were worried about her. However, when it comes to this aspect, they were more concerned, especially the men in their group, for their own safety, as in the last two times, it was one of them who had received and taken the blame for what the girl did.

It was true that they no longer held the yakuza tradition of 'cutting off a finger.' However,Raiga's wrath and fury, whenever he was in a foul mood, was more than enough to cow even the bravest among them, since none of them had the heart to tell on her, and they had in fact, taken the blame for themselves willingly.

For sadly, none of them had any defence against one of Fujimura Yuki's most lethal weapons which was even more fatal than her sword and martial arts skills, namely, her puppy dog eyes.

And whenever she had that pleading look on her face, the cute, pitiful, teary-eyed looked, they were simply unable to deny her request.

Which was why, the members of the Fujimura Group could only bow their heads in resignation, as they went back to their designated posts and duties, resigned to the fate which awaits them once the boss returned from his business trip.

**xxxXXXxxx**

"Where is she?" a voice echoed inside of the mansion.

"I don't know," another voice replied calmly.

"Do not lie to me, Zouken!" the man spat at the old man in front of him... "You know where she is! Now tell me, where is Sakura?!"

That is of course, if the old man could even be considered human, for as far as the man was concerned, the creature he was talking to was just pretending to be human, forit had lost every shed of humanity it once had a long, long time ago.

It had been a few months since then, since Matou Zouken had first made a deal with Matou Zouken, his ancestor as well as the head of the Matou family, once known as Makiri, one of three powerful mage families which designed the Holy Grail System with the aid of the Marshal of the Clock Tower, Kishua Zelretch, and the other two families being the Einzbern and the Tohsaka. The purpose of which of course, was to attain the Holy Grail, an all-powerful vessel which is able to grant any wish, and in order for it to appear, it requires that a war be fought, between seven masters and their servants, a war which will continue until only once Servant remains alive. The masters of course, being modern-day magi, with the help of their servants, Heroic Spirits, powerful beings who had achieved immortalization and preservation into the Throne of Heroes because of their deeds during their life.

None of these things, however, really mattered that much to Matou Kariya, and in his own personal opinion, to put it short, he didn't really give a damn.

All he knew, was that he had to win the Holy Grail War and acquire the Holy Grail, and then use it to grant a wish, not by using its power though. No, the reason why Kariya wanted the Grail, was so that he could use it as a bargaining chip, and he planned to give it to Zouken, to trade it, in exchange for something he wanted, something which he knew the Grail itself, the nature of which Kariya already guessed, could not grant.

Tohsaka Sakura, now Matou Sakura, was Kariya's adopted niece. More importantly, however, she was the daughter of Tohsaka Aoi, and the damned bastard, Tohsaka Tokiomi, who Kariya once thought of as a friend, but now hated with every fibre of his being.

In truth, Kariya was in love with Aoi. However, he also knew that he was not the right man for him. True, he did not believe himself to be inferior to Tokiomi as a person, even though the Tohsaka was the superior magus. However, he also believed that Aoi was meant to be with the man, for the woman he loved was in love with someone else, not him.

Which was why Kariya, despite the pain in his heart, decided to willingly step aside, never revealing how he truly felt to Aoi, for he was certain that Tokiomi was the man who could make her happy.

Later, however, Kariya realized that it was a great mistake. For the man who he thought was a man, was no man at all. He was magus, first and foremost. The fact that he had allowed his younger daughter to be adopted into the Matou family was proof of that. Tohsaka Tokiomi , as far as Kariya could tell, just as much a monster as Zouken was, or even worse.

For unlike Zouken, who had an alibi for being inhumane, given that his body was completely made of worms, Tokiomi was a human physically, and therefore had no excuse for what he had done, abandoning one of her daughters and giving her to Zouken, knowing full well what would be done with her.

And it only strengthened Kariya's belief that mages are generally monsters who would be more useful dead and alibi.

Which is why it was ironic, that he, who was against the ways of a magus, steeled his resolve to become one as well. Still, it was the most logical choice. After all, only a magus can beat a magus. Only a monster can defeat a monster.

Still, even if he did become a monster on the surface, Kariya had not really changed that much. He needed the power of one, yet his heart still remained that of a human's. He knew that he had already signed his own death sentence by having crest worms implanted into him , but it did not matter that much to him, for it was what he needed for him to be able to accomplish his objective.

Fight in the Holy Grail War. Win the Holy Grail. Hand it to Zouken in a silver platter, in exchange for Sakura's, who he saw and cared for like her own daughter, freedom.

"We had a deal, Zouken,"Kariya told his ancestor, who did not answer his question and simply smiled at him, eyes glinting with malice. "You promised that no harm would come to Sakura so long as I win the Holy Grail. Or is it because you think I would not be able to succeed?"

"Of course not, I never go back on my word, and I'm sure you're quite- ah- capable, of meeting my expectations."Zouken replied, and Kariya could not help but notice the mocking and sarcasm in his voice.

"Then where is she?" the man snarled, repeating the question he asked a while ago, as he glared at the mass of insects in humanoid form that is his ancestor.

"Ah yes, well the thing is, Kariya,"the old man began, as his eyes lit up with malice. "While not training Sakura in the Matou magic is part of the agreement we made, it is a deal that was made _exclusively between us_."

For a moment, there was silence, as Kariya tried to contemplate what Zouken just told him, and the only sound which could be heard was the sound of insects. Then…

"ZOUKEN!" the man screamed, as he charged at the head of his family.

Only to find himself unable to do so, as a swarm of worms got in between him and his target, forcing him to jump backward.

"Your precious niece is with your brother Byakuya and his _friends_. They're holding a special _party_ for her." the old man revealed in amusement. "Knowing you though, I'm sure you'll have no problem tracing his energy."

"YOU BASTARD!"

The old man merely chuckled in amusement at his rage, as he slowly disappeared into the shadows. "I'd hurry if I were you. You may be too late for the curtain raiser, but it's possible you just might make it in time for the main event."

"Damn you, Zouken," Sakura's foster uncle muttered angrily, before leaving in haste. He may be furious at the old man, but he knew he must not allow it to cloud his judgement, and thus restrained himself. He would make the bug user pay for all the terrible things he's done someday, but for now, Sakura's well-being was his main priority.

Unknown to Kariya, however, as he made his way out of the Matou household, the old bug user who he had sworn to take retribution upon was looking at him with interest.

"Impressive," Zouken muttered to himself, as he watched Kariya with an expression that could only be equated to pride. "To be able to override and completely remove my influence on the Crest Worms I implanted in his body and take full control over them, he really is something else."

Yes, Zouken was indeed impressed. In the many centuries he had lived, he had seen how the magic of the Makiri, the magecraft of his descendants, decline, the number of Magic Circuits decreasing with every new generation, and as of present, it had come to a point when it was almost dead.

However, not one of them, not even those in the previous generations that still possessed considerable magic, had been able to succeed at the feat that was achieved by Kariya. True, he no longer had any magic circuits, yet he was the first member of the Makiri family to have ever been able to succeed, aside from Zouken, at a near perfect synchronization with the Crest Worms. And Zouken had just proven this theory. For he had tried to punish Kariya for his insolence and rudeness by using the Crest Worms to torture him, and while he did not show it, the old bug user had been surprised to find that he had no control over the one's inside his descendant's body. Which could only mean one thing.

The Crest Worms implanted inside of Kariya were no longer part of Zouken. They were Kariya's own.

"What a waste…"

Which was why Zouken could not help but feel a tinge of regret, even just a little. True, he did not expect Kariya to win the war and only decided to make the deal with him on a whim, yet the fact still remains that he was a waste of potential, for he was superior to his brother Byakuya.

Due to the fact that it had been transplanted to him when he was already an adult, Kariya's body, which had never been trained in magcraft until recently, would quickly deteriorate, and by Zouken's estimate, he only had a few months left to live. Still, if it had been done when he was still young, instead of the decay, chances were that the Crest Worms would have the opposite effect, and would have strengthened him instead.

_Then again, what's done is done,_ thought Zouken to himself, as he shook his head.

And indeed, Zouken knew that there was no point dwelling on something that can't be changed. Besides, Kariya was nothing but a pawn, a disposable puppet, in the grand scheme which he was planning.

And right now, he had no time to dwell on petty little details, and Zouken's sights were focused on a potential piece that was much more promising than any of his previous ones, in the form of the second of the Tohsakas.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Her life was over. All hope was lost. These were the kind of thoughts that were going through the mind of Matou Sakura, as she felt the wave of malicious desire that was being sent towards her by her adoptive father, and his companions, a dark, cruel smile playing on their lips. Even though she was only seven years old, she was quite mature for her age thanks to the fact that she grew up in a magus family, and thus, she understood fully well what they were going to do.

They were going to rape her, to violate her. They were going to tear away every single shred of innocence that she had, down to the last strand.

And it was also due to growing up in a family of mages that she knew its purpose, which was to make her compatible to the Matou's form of magecraft, having been left to their mercy. It was in order to prepare her for that basement, where those creatures lurk. Those creatures which her own grandfather was made out of, worms that would make getting ravished by several dirty men in succession much more preferable in comparison.

Her father gave her away. Her mother and sister abandoned her to her fate. The advice of her adoptive grandfather Zouken that she forget they even existed was indeed reasonable, for whenever she thought about them, aside from the fact that she missed them, together with the love she felt for them, there was also hate, and the only person in the world who Sakura had been able to turn to was her adoptive Uncle Kariya, who, despite having lived with him for only a few months, had been more of a father to her than her real one, who had always focused on Rin, had ever been.

He was the one who Sakura could turn whenever she felt sad or lonely, the one who, despite being defiled by those cursed worms, made her feel safe and secure.

Yet now, her only protector was absent.

"Now be a good girl, and do as they tell you," her adoptive father, Byakuya said as he ruffled her hair in mock affection, before he stepped out of the room and left, while one of his companions stepped forward, who unbuckled his belt, all twelve of them grinning manically, as they beheld the feast that was standing right in front of them, her petite form in all its naked glory.

She tried to run away, to scream, to cry out for her uncle to help her, yet to her horror, she found that she could not move, and that her voice was gone, taken away from her, by whatever magecraft it was. She might as well have been a doll or a statue.

She was helpless, vulnerable, and there was nothing she could do about it. All she could was watch, as one by one, the men touched her, slowly stripping her of her clothes, one piece at a time, feeling the heat of their lustful breathe, as they caressed and savoured every part of her small body.

To her disgust, she felt her body respond, slowly yet surely feeling the pleasure from their vile hands, feeling up and touching her ears, the nape of her neck, her small chest, and the place between her thighs, which was now dripping wet, stimulating every pleasure point of her body.

"It seems like you've been enjoying yourself, girl. Now it's time for you to do the same for us."

They were going to deflower her, to take away her virginity, the last thing she had that made her clean.

And as they slowly advanced towards her once again, tears started flowing from her aqua blue eyes in an endless stream. By this point in time, she had already regained the ability to move, yet against such large and strong men, she knew she did not stand a chance.

She did not want this, yet there was nothing she could do to help herself. No one was coming to save her.

"Suck it," one of the men ordered, as he stopped right in front her, the thing dangling

Sakura however, did not respond, and merely stayed motionless. Even if it was hopeless, she would not give them the pleasure of getting her to whatever they want. She would refuse, and remain defiant, as long as her will would allow it.

"I said suck it!" the man snarled imperiously.

"Mmmm..." mused a female voice.

For one moment, the man who had his pants down had his hand outstretched, attempting to grab the seven year old girl by her hair.

The next moment...

...found him lying face first on the floor, still and unmoving.

"Hey there little girl, are you alright?"

And as she turned her head upwards, Sakura found herself staring into the face of a girl, a girl, with pale white skin, silvery-white hair and ruby-red eyes, her face illuminated by the full moon, which entered the room through a large hole in the ceiling through which said girl had entered...the most wondrous sight Sakura had seen in a long time.

"Damn, why the hell did I ask that stupid question? Of course she's not alright." the silver-haired female muttered . "Here."

And to Sakura's surprise, the girl took off her jacket and placed it around her frail naked body.

Not knowing how else to respond, Sakura did the only thing she could do, and said two words, which came from the bottom of her heart.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," the female with ruby red eyes replied, as she gave Sakura a gentle smile.. "By the way little girl, would you mind telling me your name?"

"Matou Sakura,"she answered in a meek voice.

"Sakura... Cherry blossoms, that's a beautiful name," the silver-haired female complimented in a cheerful tone. "Now then, Ms. Mat..."

"Sakura, please just call me Sakura," she told the older female.

"Now then, Sakura-chan," the girl with silver-white hair stated kindly but seriously, as she turned her back on her, facing the other occupants of the room, who were still recovering from the shock of her sudden appearance. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

Just a little while before, Sakura had already given up, and resigned herself to her fate. Now, however, as she felt the warmth of the coat which the silver-haired female wrapped around her, she could not help but trust her, and despite only knowing her for a few moments, Sakura already felt safe in her presence, the dying embers of hope within her coming back to life.

"Then, please stay behind me. Close your eyes, and don't open them until I tell you it's okay to open them, alright?"

"I'm just going to take out some trash. It won't take long, I promise..."

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright another chapter out. I have to admit, I'm surprised that I actually managed to get this one done as well, all things considered, but then I suppose that's what happens when you let your imagination run wild. Now, this particular chapter... yeah I know, it's already at the borderline of the ratings T and M, due to some of the scenes. I was originally planning to place this as mature, but since I've read plenty of other fics that have some lemony parts and are still at rated T which are much more explicit than mine, I kept the rating at that point instead.

Anyhow, things are going to be picking up from this point. This story may be set around the Fourth Heaven's Feel, but it's going to be different to the one in canon. Well, I might follow some canon battle scenes and meetings for convenience's sake, but I'll probably be diverting mostly from it.

Once again the first segment of this chapter, the dream segment, was based heavily on the Fate/ Stay Night Visual Novel, which is why I'm acknowledging it here, but it's something necessary though I did place a few additions of my own.

As to what happened next, well, just read the next chapter to find out. It's probably still gonna be a few more chapters before the first servant to the Grail War is summoned. Speaking of given who 'Yuki,' is, as many of you have guessed, there are plenty of choices as to who she should summon, and I'm actually even thinking if there should be eight servants in the war instead of seven since she is an anomaly.

Heroic Spirit Emiya for one would be a good choice of course, and if you read the first part of chapter one, it will be obvious why. Kiritsugu of course is another, since his blood is practically running through Ilya's veins from the start. These two which I mentioned can be summoned without a catalyst.

As for pure bonding though, Berserker/Heracles is also another option, although it's a bit more farfetched.

Yes, I'm sure you're thinking it's gonna be among this group who Yuki will summon later, but I won't say anything more about it just yet, it's going to be a surprise.

Oh, and as for two of the names they gave her, before I forget, it's a slight reference to Naruto and Gintama.

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fate/Stay Night, Tsukihime, Kara no Kyoukai, or any of the stories of Type-Moon, except for the plot I cooked up based from their novels, and is written purely for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

_I am the temple of my swords._

_Warm is my heart, yet frozen is my soul._

_I have chanted over a thousand prayers._

_Bringer of justice, defender of innocents._

_Protector of the ones I love._

_And so I trudge forward._

_This is a path I shall not regret._

_So aid me in my goal, I beseech you, aid me in my quest._

_Awaken from your slumber._

_My Sanctuary of Blades._

* * *

**CHAPTER 3**

It was three o'clock in the morning, and currently sitting on a futon, with her head on top of the dining table, in the small house that she and her sister were taking residence in, one Taiga Fujimura sat up straight, wiping the cold sweat which formed on her forehead, caused without a doubt by the dream she just had... well, if it could be called a dream.

For as far as the Tiger of Fuyuki was concerned, it was no dream...

It was a nightmare.

And indeed it was not a pleasant experience. She knew the reason behind it of course, The night before, she had been waiting for Yuki, who was late, to come home, and she watched TV while she was at it, and chanced upon on a horror movie. A horror movie, which was about a young girl who had been drowned by a serial killer, and came back for revenge, as a ghost.

Being the headstrong person she was, Taiga, on a whim, instead of turning the TV off or change the channel, like most of the girls her age would if they were alone, decided to watch the entire movie.

Had anyone been near enough, they would probably run away in fear, or think that someone insane must be living in the house, due to the maniacal laughter that was coming from the house, which was made by none other than Taiga.

Yes, she was laughing, as if what she was watching wasn't scary at all, and nothing but a joke... well, at least, that was what she how it would have looked on the outside. For the reason why she was laughing was actually to convince herself, that it was nothing but a show, and that something like that wouldn't shake her in the slightest, when the truth was exactly the opposite.

She was absolutely terrified.

"Get over it, Taiga," the Tiger of Fuyuki muttered to herself, as she slapped herself on the cheeks. "It wasn't real. Just a dream..."

"It was just a dream!"

It took her a little while but finally, she was able to regain her composure.

Yawning as she stood up and stretched her joints, Taiga decided to go to check up on her sister. She did not hear her enter the house, but she knew that she was back, if the absence of food and utensils on the table that were there before she fell asleep was any indication. Not to mention that when Taiga woke up, a warm blanket had been placed around her, and while she will never say it out loud, she was actually touched by her little sister's gesture.

The Tiger of Fuyuki did not want to admit it, but when it comes right down to it, it was Yuki, despite being younger, who was the one better suited for the role of 'Big Sister.' Not that Taiga loved her any less because of it. No, Taiga was upset because she was officially the big sister, and thus she wanted to be the one taking care of Yuki, not the other way around.

She would never admit to herself that she was not for the role, even if she was currently sneaking towards Yuki's room wearing a malicious smirk on her face, carrying a couple of kitchenware , intending to startle her younger sister awake with it, for the look on Yuki's face when she was startled was so cute that Taiga found the temptation impossible to resist.

Besides, Taiga was starving, and her action was just a form of vengeance, since Yuki devoured everything from the night before (since Taiga, by a miracle, fell asleep before she could take a bite), not to mention the fact that she needed her to cook breakfast.

Arriving in front of her sister's room, Taiga, as quietly as she could, opened the sliding door, moving into it with the same level of stealth of a tiger that was creeping up on its prey for an ambush.

_Fufufu,_ Taiga chuckled in her thoughts, as she looked at her sister's face, who had a peaceful look on it as she slumbered. A peaceful look that will soon turn into one of panic.

"Nnnn..."

_Hmmm?_

Just as she was about to start hitting the frying pan with a spatula, the Tiger found herself distracted, as she noticed something move beside her sister.

_Hmmm?!_

For a moment, Taiga just stood there frozen, staring blankly, as the things which caught her attention, which had been lying beside her sister Yuki, sat up, as it started rubbing its eyes, before it turned in her direction and stared back at her.

And then...

"KYAAAA!"

Taiga screamed.

For the creature which had been stirring beside her sister...

...was a girl, dressed in all white, with long, messy black hair, her bluish-green eyes glowing in the early morning darkness, the exact same horrifying creature which she had seen in the movie, which she had seen in her dreams.

And it seemed like her dream had turned into a living nightmare.

And at that moment in time, feeling terror gripping her heat, Taiga, had she allowed her instincts to take over, would have fled, and ran away as far as her legs would carry her. However, instead of turning tail and fleeing, she stayed, and did not allow her fear to control her.

Yes, she had the chance to get away of course. Just like in the movie, the monster was a really good actress, pretending to be a frightened little thing, acting as if it was shocked and terrified, when inwardly it was laughing evilly It would first approach its victim like a shy, harmless, and homeless little girl, taking advantage of other people by gaining their pity and affection. Then, without their knowledge, just by being near them, it would slowly suck away their life force, and the next day, the person would be found dead, due to a heart attack.

It was really unfortunate that she had slept halfway through the movie, and because of it, she did not see how it would end, nor did she get to the part which showed how to defeat the creature.

However, much as she wanted to get away, there was no way Taiga could leave, not when her sister's life was at stake. The fact that her sister was still breathing was proof that it had not yet succeeded.

Mustering all the courage she could, the brown haired female, despite the fact that her body was shaking all over, controlled her fear and tensed up, into a fighting stance, battle ready.

"HYAAAA!"

With a war cry, the Tiger of Fuyuki brought her frying pan and spatula downward in a criss-cross strike.

Only for her to be knocked backwards, making her fall off balance.

"ONEE-SAN! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"Yuki?"

For a moment, Taiga felt confused, as she clutched on her stomach, staring at her silver-haired younger sister, who was glaring daggers at her...

"GET AWAY FROM MY IMOUTO, YOU M-!" Her eyes falling on the 'monster in girl's clothing,' Taiga once again charged forward.

Only for her body to lose strength, having been hit with a karate chop at the back of her neck.

"But why..." asked Taiga weakly, feeling hurt at the betrayal, even though she knew she was being manipulated, as she looked into her sister's ruby-red eyes.

Yes, she had not seen it happen in the movie, but judging from the fact that her sister attacked her, there was no doubt about it. The creature was controlling Yuki.

And now, as she felt her consciousness slowly fading away, the Tiger of Fuyuki could not help but feel despair, knowing without a doubt, that all hope was lost. And the last things she heard, before the blackness consumed her, was the voice of her younger sister, undoubtedly possessed, grumbling to herself...

"Stupid nee-san..."

**xxxXXXxxx**

Yuki, was, in the proper use of the word, pissed.

No, she was beyond pissed.

And right now, she had once again almost reached the breaking point of her already shortened fuse. This time, though, the cause of her irritation, as always, was none other than her elder sister Taiga.

She knew of course the reason why she reacted the way she did, and it was exactly why Yuki was not happy, since it was not the first time that it happened. Taiga, Yuki knew, while she will never admit it, was actually afraid of ghosts. Their fellow classmates, when they hung out and watched horror movies, were thoroughly convinced by her act, which was laughing heartily whenever they watched that particular genre.

Yuki however, was not fooled. Taiga may put on a brave facade, but it was useless. She could see right through her.

The problem, however, was not the fact that Taiga was afraid of horror movies. No, as far as Yuki was concerned, the main problem was _how_ watching horror movies affected her mentality

Yuki had not forgotten that one time, when she and her sister, along with the other members of the Fujimura group, decided to have a bit of a bonding time, and watched a particular movie, The Ring, together. Like always, Taiga kept up her cheerful facade all the while, even laughing hysterically at the most gruesome scenes, masking her true feeling. Well, things actually turned out really well, and her acting had been perfect...

Had it not been for the fact that early the next day found one of their maids, whose hair was messy and was wearing a bathrobe, knocked out cold and with a large lump on her head, while Taiga was found running around the house like a rabid tiger, swinging Tora Shinai left and right, like a raving lunatic, while screaming 'IT'S SADAKO! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!' all the way, causing a lot of damage to lives(thought not to the point of causing death or mortal peril, sort of) and property while she was at it.

And now, she had done it again, and whatever it was that she had watched, had caused her to think that Sakura was some sort of monster.

And because of it, the poor girl nearly had to go through two traumatizing experiences instead of one, all in one night. Had it not been for Yuki's sharp senses when it comes to hostile intent, as well as her unique bond with Taiga which allowed her to sense her emotions, things would have been much worse.

A few hours earlier, Yuki, taking advantage of the fact that her grandfather was away, thought that it would be a good idea to take his bike out for a ride. Unfortunately for her, she always tends to lose herself whenever she was driving a vehicle, it nearly ended up having the same fate as her scooter.

And it was during her ride, as she passed through the streets of Miyama, that she noticed it.

Yuki did not know exactly why she has it, but somehow, she has a knack for sensing things which no normal person should be able to. This time, for some reason, she could not help but feel it, the hostile intent in the air, the plea of someone asking desperately for help, coming from an abandoned warehouse.

And that was where she found her, the girl, only six or seven years old, naked, being abused by a bunch of good-for-nothing low-lives...

And the horrendous sight had made her blood boil. She may have managed to prevent the worst from happening, but damage has already been done.

"Hmmm," her older sister mused after Yuki finished telling her what happened. "So after that, you decided to bring her with you?" Taiga asked, to which Yuki nodded in response.

Still, with some sensible conversation, Yuki managed to successfully bring out her sister from her dream world back to reality, a feat which only she and Raiga were capable of accomplishing.

"You do know that you could be charged with kidnapping for this, right?" the older female asked in a low voice.

Yes, her elder sister might act childish and open most of the time, but when it comes right down it, she was not one who was easily fooled unless she let her fantasies get the better of her. They were yakuza after all, and while they no longer follow the old traditions, nor do their family engage in illegal businesses like drugs and human trafficking (although they do deal with weapons), they were taught the basics on how to deal with the world, which include business and politics, and they were quite knowledgeable when it comes to the law, how to bypass it and use it to their advantage, without crossing the thin line between what was and what was not against the law.

And in this case, the silver-haired female had to agree that Taiga was right. What she was doing was certainly against the law. True, she was still underage, and therefore not subject to it, but if her actions were revealed, it could compromise the position of her family. Still...

"I know that, Nee-san," Yuki replied quietly, as she looked towards the direction of the room where Sakura was currently sleeping. "But, I couldn't just leave her there by herself."

"But those bastards..." Taiga began, her voice rising, but Yuki cut her off.

"Like I told you, they have already been taken care of."

As Yuki said these words, an eerie silence fell on the room, as the two sisters stared at each other, Taiga's light brown eyes locked upon Yuki's ruby-red pair.

"Did you kill them?" asked Taiga finally after a while, her eyes narrowed, without a single trace of her usual cheerful demeanour.

"No, I did not," she replied without looking away. _Though I wish I did_, Yuki added in her thoughts.

"I see," said Taiga, as she nodded her head. "What about her family?"

"That's not an option."

"Oh?" the brown-haired girl inquired, as she raised her eyebrows. "And why is that?"

"Because, according to those pieces of trash..." Yuki began, before pausing for a few seconds, thinking of how she should break the information to her elder sister.

"...it was her father who ordered those men to assault her in the first place. They told me before I knocked the sense out of them," the silver-haired female finished through gritted teeth.

"HER FATHER?!" roared Taiga, looking outraged, as she finally lost her composure. "SON OF A B-MMMMPH?!"

"Shhhhh!" Yuki hissed angrily at her sister as she placed her hand over her mouth, not wanting to end up disturbing the girl in question, who was currently sleeping peacefully in the other room.

Yes, she had already expected this. After all, they were sisters, and even though it was not by blood, the bond they shared was even stronger than that, which also meant that both of them possessed some of the others' traits, both good and bad, and one of them happened to be their patience. True, they can extend it for as long as they want if they keep their focus, but once they lose their concentration, there is always the tendency for them to simply snap. And with what they were discussing, Taiga's reaction wasn't that surprising. In fact, what was more surprising was the fact that Taiga had been able to keep her cool for this long, her need for information overpowering her natural instincts.

"So what are we going to do now?" Taiga inquired after a while, having regained her composure. "From what you told me, there is no way we can send her back to her bastard of a father."

Yuki fell silent, as she pondered on her thoughts, weighing their options. Part of her was telling her to just go to the police station, hand Sakura over to them, let them take care of the rest, and be done with it.

After all, she was just a stranger, a passer-by, and technically, whatever the girl's problem was, was not really any of Yuki's concern. Besides, she had already done her fair share of helping her.

However, another part of her, the part that held her conscience, was telling Yuki not to let go of her, and that she would regret it if she let her go.

Take her in and continue to help her or leave her to her fate. These were the two options that lay before them.

And as these two lines of thoughts fought for dominance in her mind, Yuki recalled, how she, a complete nobody was taken in by Raiga, and instead of being abandoned, was welcomed by the Fujimuras, as if she was one of their own, despite not knowing her background, doing everything to help her, without asking for anything in return, loving her, accepting her, as a member of their family.

Besides, it was plain to see that the girl did not want to go back to her 'family', who were apparently not fit for that role.

And aside from that, Sakura had become attached to her, and though Yuki will never say it openly, she actually felt good every time that cute little girl called her Nee-san.

Yuki had now made her decision. No matter what happens, there was no way she was going to abandon Sakura, the girl in which she saw something akin to herself. She knew it won't be easy, but perhaps, their grandfather, Raiga, might be able to do something about it, just as he done for her four years before.

For now, though, Yuki would take care of her, while waiting for him to return from his business trip.

"Anyway, Yuki-chan," Taiga stated, bringing the silver-haired female out of her thoughts.

"Yes, Onee-san?"

"Would you mind taking these ropes off me now?"

_Oh right,_ thought Yuki to herself, as she walked behind her sister to unbind her. She had completely forgotten that she had bound Taiga with a rope to restrain her a while ago.

_On second thought..._

"Yuki? What are you doing? What's taking so lo-MMMPH!?"

Instead of untying her, however, Yuki, with a malicious glint in her eyes, grabbed some masking tape and covered her sister's mouth with it, jamming it shut.

And as she saw the look of fear and panic in the Tiger's eyes, who was starting to crawl like a caterpillar on the floor, Yuki could not help but feel amused.

"Just wait right here, Nee-san. I'm going to go cook some breakfast," the silver-haired female stated, giving her sister the sweetest smile she could muster, before she shut the door behind her.

Yes, Fujimura Taiga was indeed one of the people Yuki cared for the most in the world. Even though they were not related by blood, the older girl accepted her and loved her as if she were family.

However, even though this was the case, there were just times when the Tiger became too annoying for her own good. Yuki may still be half asleep at the time, but based from the fact that Taiga had entered her room with a spatula and a frying pan, it was obvious what she was planning to do.

And it was something which Yuki simply could not allow to go unpunished.

**xxxXXXxxx**

"Interesting..." mused a raspy voice, belonging to an old man with a cane, as he chuckled to himself. Yes, the ancient human-shaped creature seemed amused and enjoying himself...

...at least, that was true a few hours before...

Now however, while he managed to maintain his composure and appear calm on the outside, he was actually seething in frustration on the inside.

A while before, he, Matou Zouken, the head of the Matou family, had a bit of entertainment, messing around with one of his foolish descendants, Matou Kariya. Zouken, knowing how much the man cared for Sakura, seeing her like his own daughter, used this fact to his advantage, and thus he agreed to make a deal with him, although it was more out of amusement out of anything else. True, the man had shown potential, and he had to admit that he was impressed by the progress that was made, but Zouken knew with certainty that he was not good enough to win the Holy Grail.

Though of course, if he compared Kariya with his brother Byakuya, by Zouken's calculations, if Kariya's chance of winning the Holy Grail was one in a thousand, Byakuya's would be at one in a billion, or even worse odds than that. He may not think of Kariya capable of winning, but despite his rebellious track record, having been disowned and only coming back to the family threshold out of love for Aoi and her daughter, Zouken was firm in his belief that Kariya should have been the Matou successor.

And it was through this that Zouken, being the bored old man that he is, found another way to amuse himself, by adding fuel to the fire.

Yes, he knew that Byakuya was almost a worthless piece of trash... well, almost. Despite being the filthy drunkard that he was, the man could still be of some use, and one of them would be initiating the former Tohsaka's training in the Matou magecraft. He could not do it himself of course, since he made a deal with Kariya... well he could, but that would only give the man reason to go against him, and while Zouken knew that he would win should the two of them ever fight, he did not want to lose Kariya, at least not at the moment.

So instead, he decided to play devil's advocate. By openly praising Kariya for his talent and prowess, Zouken had indirectly aroused the older brother's jealousy. And thus, through his manipulations, the situation which he had been hoping to arise had finally come about, a win-win situation for him. For while it was true that Kariya's hatred for him would increase, Zouken knew that he would first prioritize Sakura's safety, his hatred second, and with the way things are going, he was bound to focus his wrath on Byakuya instead, a tragically amusing play to watch.

After all, Kariya while knowing full well that he was behind it, had no proof, and therefore would have no solid reason to defy him. Besides, Zouken simply mentioned _constantly_ that there was a _need_ for Sakura to be trained in the Matou Magecraft _as soon as possible_. He never actually ordered anyone to act upon it.

Now, however, Zouken regretted his decision of not doing it himself.

Being the shrewd person that he is, Zouken always had his bug-like worms crawling around in stealth, as surveillance, and he always had some these worm familiars, which also make up his own physical body, following his two descendants. Sadly, probably caused by the fact that he was five centuries old, the effects of old age and senility must have been affecting him, and he overlooked one fatal flaw in his plan.

Yes, he had his familiars following Kariya and Byakuya. He also had worms stationed and patrolling near and around the Ryuudou Temple, as well as the Tohsaka Manor and the Einzbern Forest, just outside the Bounded Field, careful enough to make sure that the members of the Tohsaka household, who were adept at sensing his worms, would not notice. However...

...he forgot to order his worms to track Sakura, which turned out to be a mistake on his part.

He had seen it through his worms, how Kariya flew into a rage, and almost made his modified version of Crest Worms, his Blade Wing Worms, eat his older brother alive when he found him. Naturally, Byakuya, who was a coward at heart, fearing for his life, managed to weave his way out of trouble by immediately telling his younger brother where Sakura was, which was in an abandoned warehouse in Miyama (although Zouken, who had worms following Byakuya, already knew this ), and since Kariya was in a hurry, he was left relatively unharmed, at least physically.

When Kariya arrived at the place however, the sight that greeted Zouken's eyes, who was at the time directly sharing vision with his familiars, surprised him.

For instead of seeing the girl being raped and abused as he had expected, the men who were supposed to do the deed, lay unconscious on the floor, bruised and beaten.

Of course, they did not stay unconscious for long. After Kariya left the bunch, having interviewed and 'interrogated' them for information with the use of force, Zouken had his worms 'take care of them.' After all, secrecy was of utmost importance to a magus, and thus, having served their purpose, they had become disposable. He was not sure if they succeeded in ravishing the girl, but based from what he saw, it was highly unlikely.

His problems, however, Zouken knew, were far from over.

For now, the girl, who is one of the major pieces Zouken was planning to use in the future, was missing, and he, an ancient magus whose body was made of worms, which served had excellent trackers, had absolutely no idea where she was, undoubtedly taken by whoever it was who rescued, or more likely than not, kidnapped the girl.

Yes, the fact that the Makiri could lose a valuable pawn was troublesome enough. To make matters worse, however, what made Zouken even more worried, was the fact that no ordinary person should have even been able to enter the area. Byakuya may not be that good at magecraft, but his pitiful Bounded Field was enough to ward off any normal human. Aside from that, the men who were Byakuya's 'drinking buddies,' had no recollection whatsoever of what happened, which was a tell-tale sign that their memories had been manipulated.

And it could only mean one thing.

It was no ordinary human who came that night and abducted Sakura, of that Zouken was certain. Even though there was no sign of a spell being cast, the fact alone that whoever it was was able to enter a Bounded Territory, as well as modify memories proves his theory.

What happened was without a doubt...

...the work of a magus.

And now, Zouken could not help but feel slightly alarmed. An unknown factor had just entered the game, and based from centuries' worth of experience, Zouken knew, that an unknown, was much more dangerous than any known threat.

Fully aware of what was at stake, Zouken tripled the number of worm familiars he had on the prowl, ordering specifically to search for and detect areas where a Bounded Field may have been set up. Zouken knew that the range at which he could send them out without them dying was limited, even though it was over five kilometres. However, it was enough to scour the entirety of Fuyuki. Of course, there was always the chance that the magus had already left the city, but Zouken's worm gut feeling told him that whoever it was was probably going to stick around. Based from the timing of its occurrence, Zouken guessed that whoever it was was probably planning to join the next Holy Grail War which, given the amount of energy that has gathered, would begin in a few months' time.

"DAMN YOU TO HELL KARIYA!" a shrill voice screamed, accompanied by the sound of breaking glass.

Yes, finding Matou Sakura, and the unknown magus who abducted her, was currently on top of Zouken's lists of priorities. The fact alone that whoever it was managed to stay under his radar made him a potential threat. Still, even though whoever it was was good at hiding, Zouken was confident that he would not be able to do so forever. And with Kariya on the case as well, frantically searching for his beloved adopted niece, Zouken knew that it was only a matter of time before they were found.

For now though, the old man decided to turn his attention towards his less talented, almost worthless piece of trash of a descendant, Byakuya, to vent out some of his frustration.

_Hmmm... Now what should I do with him?_ thought Zouken to himself,

_Ah, I know!_ The old bug user mused inwardly, as a brilliant idea entered his twisted mind after a while, wearing a crooked smile on his ancient face.

He knew that the man was a coward, and has almost no talent as a magus. Still, he had spent under the strict rules and training of the Matou household, so it would be easy for him to shrug off anything Zouken could throw at him, even the Crest Worms. He would still be screaming in fear and agony, but not on the same level as it had been years before.

So instead, Zouken decided to do something else. Instead of punishing the man through magecraft, Zouken would instead remove one of his lavish privileges with a new house rule, which is...

….forbidding Byakuya from drinking alcohol, the man's favourite vice.

A most fitting punishment indeed...

**xxxXXXxxx**

"KYAAAA! IT'S GOING TO RAIN!"

"DARN IT! I FORGOT TO BRING AN UMBRELLA!"

It was chaos. Thanks to an weather forecast made by the local weather station, saying that it was going to be a fine, sunny day, the people who had gone out to do some shopping and have some fun for the weekend, found themselves caught off-guard, defenceless, without countermeasure, against the sudden thunderstorm which descended upon them, the dark clouds covering the clouds, the sky illuminated from time to time by flashes of lighting, rain pouring heavily from the heavens.

As most of the people crowded and huddled together under the cover of the buildings, a man who was wearing a grey jacket with white stripes, could be seen walking through the streets, covering his head with a hood, unmindful of the heavy rain.

He was soaked to the skin, for the clothes he was wearing did not repel water, and the cold would have only added to his already worsening health, caused by the Crest Worms that had been transplanted into his body, adding to his constant, unceasing, excruciating pain.

Yet at the moment in time, he could not feel any of it. Not the pain from the transplants. Not the cold from the rain. No, the pain which he felt from the fact that his body was slowly dying and rotting away, was but trivial, compared to the feeling of pain, of loss, and of worry that he felt in his heart, caused by the fact...

That his precious adopted niece was missing.

Kariya tried, done his best, to try and find her, to no avail. He spent hours searching, sleepless nights and an empty stomach, trying to figure out where she was and who could have taken her. He had even asked for, despicable though he was, the help of the five hundred year old worm Zouken. Yet even his search, despite his knowledge and experience, despite his vast number of worm familiars, despite having his own twisted motivation for not wanting to lose the girl, bore no fruit.

It had been two weeks since then, yet till now, despite having scoured the entirety of Fuyuki City as well as they could, there was still no trace, no sign, of her...

And now, as he looked up the gloomy sky, the man could not help but feel despair, losing hope, at the possibility of ever seeing her again.

"Sakura... Aoi... I failed you... I'm sorry..." he whispered, his voice full of sorrow and bitterness, as he fell onto the soaked ground, having lost his willpower, which was the only reason why he had been able to endure the pain and fatigue that should have already claimed his life.

"HEY THERE OLD MAN! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"

And thus, having lost consciousness, he did not notice someone approaching him, nor did he feel himself being hoisted up and carried by a tall muscular man, who was sporting a buzz style hair cut and wearing a monk's attire, up the mountain where the local temple was situated.

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Yeah, I have to admit, it was not easy writing this chapter, seeing as I wanted to get to the action phase parts right away, if you know what I mean, though if I did that, I might end up ruining the plot in the process.

Yes, I have read your reviews and I noticed that there are quite a lot of speculations, particularly on how Yuki came to be or which Servant she will summon.

Well, I won't be revealing just who for now. One thing I can tell you though, is that the 4th Holy Grail War this time around will be unique. I might end up following some canon scenes of course, but it will only be very minimal.

Also, there is a chance that I will be making a few OC's, and I only hope that I will not end up screwing up this fic.

Oh yeah, and for those of you who are wondering, I'm using both the anime and light novel elements of Fate/Zero. For Sakura's case though, I am following the Anime Storyline, since the start of the magecraft training is vague, and in this way, my fic doesn't end up too much of an AU. Yes, I've read parts of the light novel, and even though I'm not finished, from what I've seen, well, I certainly won't be following it, especially the Prologue part of the light novels about Sakura, for two reasons.

One, the novel version was just too tragic, since her saviour was already technically too late to save her from the worms.

Two, since Sakura has not been turned into a Holy Grail, she did not end up being recognized as an instinctive enemy of a certain someone, and I think you know who she is. Hehehe.

Oh, and by the way, due to some changes, particularly the addition of another Town as a major setting, this fic will be transferred to the crossover section.

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fate/Stay Night, Tsukihime, Kara no Kyoukai, or any of the stories of Type-Moon, except for the plot I cooked up based from their novels, and is written purely for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

_I am the temple of my swords._

_Warm is my heart, yet frozen is my soul._

_I have chanted over a thousand prayers._

_Bringer of justice, defender of innocents._

_Protector of the ones I love._

_And so I trudge forward._

_This is a path I shall not regret._

_So aid me in my goal, I beseech you, aid me in my quest._

_Awaken from your slumber._

_My Sanctuary of Blades._

* * *

**CHAPTER 4**

It was midnight, and currently, a seven year old girl with red-hair and bluish-green eyes was in the kitchens, drinking a glass of water, having been woken up by her thirst. In truth, her hair actually black, but due to her special circumstance, her was dyed to change its color.

And as she looked up at the sky through the window, where the moon had just appeared from behind a cloud, the girl, whose name is Fujimura Sakura, her face illuminated by the moonlight, she could not help but think, about the things which happened to her in the past few days.

Two weeks, it had been two weeks since that fateful night, when she had first met her, the woman with long silver hair and ruby red eyes, who was sleeping peacefully in her futon, which the two of them shared. Having been accepted as a member of the family, she was actually given a room of her own, but the young girl did not want to sleep alone, for it brought back painful memories, so instead she would snuggle up close to her, to the person who saved her, and made her feel safe.

When she had first arrived at her new home, she had to admit that she was actually suspicious, for she remembered part of what happened that night, that night when she had been rescued.

She knew what she had been asked to do, she knew that her rescuer had asked her to close her eyes until she was told it was okay to open them. Still, even though she obeyed, she could still hear it, the cries and screams of pain and terror, before she passed out from exhaustion.

But what had her worried most of all, was the fact that she sensed it. She may just be new at it, and still lacked training, but there was no doubt about it. The person who saved her was using magecraft.

The type of magic which she was supposed to learn and adapt to in the Matou family was one which required the worst and harshest training, one which involves having her body invaded by foreign creatures, worms, which would enable her to use that particular of magic. And of course, to help her cope with it, just like what has been done in the past with the female members and some male members of said family, they were trained, either willingly or unwillingly though mostly unwillingly, by first turning them into mindless animals with near-uncontrollable carnal and physical desires, by forcing to adapt, get used to the pain, become addicted and/or dependent to sex, a training, which she would have started immediately in, had it not been for her Uncle Kariya, who made a deal with the family's head, Zouken, promising her adoptive grandfather something called the Holy Grail, in exchange for her freedom.

Yes, Sakura had seen it with her own two eyes, the basement, which was infested by the Crest Worms which were supposed to defile her, yet did not, thanks to her Uncle, who had to enter ithimself.

However, even though she had been given such a reprieve, that did not mean that her life was not miserable. For while it was true that she had not been forced into training immediately, she had never been allowed to step out of her room, was given the minimal amount of food, forced to read books on magic, and would occasionally receive a slap or two from her adoptive father, Byakuya along with discreet groping and sexual harassment. For while it was true that he did not go all the way, he still abused her greatly, and the only thing that was stopping him from doing so, as Sakura guessed was his fear of her Uncle Kariya, who had Crest Worms under his command that was always guarding her. Even though she was only seven, Sakura could tell, that the Worms around her, based from their protective behaviour, as well as mana signature, were not her grandfather's.

She was a prisoner, a bird trapped in a cage. Even though she found herself treated better whenever her Uncle Kariya visited her, the man was usually not around her most of the time, for he was busy undergoing the cruel training that was the Matou magecraft. They were staying inside the same mansion, yet Sakura could not help but feel that the two of them were miles apart.

And if what her adoptive father told her was true, then even her Uncle Kariya abandoned her in the end. Sakura did not want to believe it, but the fact that he did not come to rescue, the fact that his familiars were not present, seemed to affirm it.

Yes, such was her life, the life of Sakura, once a Tohsaka, then a Matou, and now a Fujimura. And because of what she experienced, she could not help but feel distrustful, doubtful, of the intentions behind the actions of Yuki, the one who rescued her, in the beginning, even though a part of her was already telling her to believe.

When Sakura first saw her, she could not help but feel glad, that someone actually came for her. However, once she had gathered her thoughts, Sakura could not help but notice that the timing, as well as the circumstance, was somehow suspicious.

As the days passed by, however, she found that her assumption was wrong.. For according to what she read, as well as what she experienced, a magus or a magus family always has a workshop.

Also, in a family of mages, only the eldest child is trained in the art and considered heir or heiress, while the rest, are treated as disposable, something akin to dirt, as was Sakura's experience.

Yes, Sakura knew that the person who saved her life could use magecraft and was more likely than not, a magus, yet if that was the case, then, she was nothing like the typical mage.

A magus always follows tradition. Yuki does not.

A magus hides the fact that he could use magic from those who could not use it. Yuki may hide it from most, but she doesn't seem to have any problem revealing what she can do to her sister Taiga. In fact, as far as Sakura could tell, Yuki is not even aware away that she was using it.

But most importantly, a magus was magus first, before he was a human. A magus was a magus first, before he was a person, a friend, a lover, a husband or wife, a parent, a brother... or sister.

None of these was present in the Fujimura household.

"Yuki... Tora Shinai... give it back..."a brown haired girl was muttering in her sleep.

And as Sakura snuggled between sleeping forms the two sisters on the futon, the seven year old could not help but smile, a true smile that came from the bottom of her heart.

For she had now met who loved her and would never abandon her...

Finally, she had found a place where she truly belonged...

**xxxXXXxxx**

"If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

Inside of his office in the his mansion, an old man, wearing traditional black Japanese attire, was fuming, the veins on his forehead popping out dangerously, both in anger and frustration, staring sourly at the mountain of papers that was set on his desk in front of him, two weeks' worth in all.

Yes, he did have people looking after things for him while he was away on business, but for some reason, even though his subordinates have a high degree of education, they have a knack for 'not reading the fine print,' as well as the habit of slacking off. As the saying goes after all, 'when the cat is away, the mouse will play.'

True, he had been handling this kind of task for decades already, yet for some reason, he simply could not get used to it. The fact that his old age and eyesight were not helping either.

Still, even though they have their faults, he simply could not find it in his heart to throw them out, for even though they have their faults, they were loyal, not because he was a rich and influential syndicate lord, but because of the bond they shared. For their group, was no mere organization. It was a family, and a considerably big one at that.

"I know you're there, so I suggest you come out now," he said, as he stared up at the ceiling. "Unless of course, you want me to drag you down here myself?"

"As if you could," scoffed a voice in response, as a figure jumped down from one of the vents of the mansion's air conditioning system. It was a young woman with long silky black hair who looked like she was in her early twenties, wearing a formal attire more suited for males than females, consisting of a dress shirt, black tie, fedora hat and suit coat which surprisingly did not have any trace of getting ruffled.

"Despite your age, your senses are still as sharp as ever, Otouto."

"No it's not. You're just getting sloppy." the old man mused in response, which earned him a glare from the person he was talking to. "Anyway, what brings you here, Nee-san?"

"It's starting soon."

As she said these words, the air inside the room changed from warm and friendly to tense, as the two stared at each other, brown eyes locked upon a similarly colored pair.

"Your granddaughter, she bears the mark," the woman said after a while.

"I know," the old yakuza replied casually. "And it is exactly why I am making preparations."

He may act as if he was unaware of it, but in truth, the old man was actually quite knowledgeable of what was happening in his beloved city. He may not have special abilities, but even though he did not know all the details, he knew enough, through his connections, of that particular event which occurs every fifty or sixty years, one which was supposed to be for obtaining a powerful and supposedly holy object that could grant its holder any which, one which ironically, could only be attained through bloodshed.

Which was why he could not help but feel nervous, terrified, for her well being.

Yes, the old man was only slightly surprised when he saw the marks appear on his adopted granddaughter's hands. After all, based from her silver her and physical appearance, as well as what she was wearing when he first found her, she was undoubtedly a member of one of three families which the old man could not help but feel disgusted with, due to their tendency to commit cruel and heartless actions to achieve their goals, without any regard for human life, even sacrificing their own kin without any regret or remorse.

And now, thanks to this development, the life of his granddaughter was now in grave danger, and the old man was not happy about it. It had been hard enough trying to keep them from getting too involved with the syndicate world, yet now, due to circumstances beyond their control, they were being dragged into something which would make the life of a yakuza seem like a walk in the park.

"_Sir!"_ a voice said through a speaker. _"The representative of the Iwame Group is here too see you like you requested."_

"_Good,"_ the old man replied through his radiophone. _"Send him in."_

"_Yes, sir."_ came the response.

"Nee-san," the old man began, as he placed the phone on the table and turned towards his older sister. "I believe we better continue- you're leaving already?"

The woman in black nodded in response. "Like you, I also have an appointment."

"With who?"

"None of your business," the female said with a smile, which caused the old man to frown at the response, but it turned into a smirk as he noticed something.

"You're going out through the window?" he inquired, as he noticed that his sister was already opening it.

"Yes, through the window."

"You're not going out the same way you came in?" the old man asked, sounding intrigued.

"No. It was too tight," the brown-haired female replied irritably.

"I see," he stated simply, resisting the temptation to say something else. For the last time he said that 'something else...' he did not even want to think about it. "Anyway, before I forget, would you mind dropping by again before you leave the city? I need to talk to you ab..."

"I already know what you are going to say, Otouto," the brown-haired woman cut him off. "And if you must know, the one I'm meeting tonight is that worm. Our first, and hopefully, it will also be our last."

For a moment, the old man could not help but feel himself frozen, his mouth wide open, gaping at his older sister, who despite her real age, looked as if she was only in her early twenties.

Yes, he wanted to talk to her, to ask her, about it. However, it was not because she knew about it, or how she knew that he was about to talk with her about the head of the Makiri family. No, he already knew that his sister, who had plenty of connections just like him, as well as held a significantly high rank in the organization, would be privy to this kind of information. The real reason why he was surprised was because...

...his elder sister decided to get involved. For while she was not a cruel person, she was more of the passive type, which was why her decision to volunteer for such a task baffled him.

At least, at that point in time. For in the next moment...

"Oh, and by the way, I also know about Sakura. Congratulations, Otoutou. You're a great grandfather now."

...he realized why she has decided to take the initiative.

"_Sir,"_ said a voice through the phone. _"Mr. Iwame is starting to get impatient. He said he still has a lot of things to do and that your wasting his t..."_

"_Tell him I'll be down there in a couple of minutes."_

"_Hai."_

Knowing they did not have much time left, the old man decided that it was best to let things rest for the time being, and told her one sentence that came from the bottom his heart.

"Please be careful."

"Of course I will," the woman replied, giving him a warm smile, before she jumped out of the window and vanished, as if she melded into the semi-dark morning sky, when the sun had not yet fully risen, the only indication of its presence were the few tinges of orange in the clouds.

Yes, he knew that she was someone who would not mind if thousands of innocent people died in front of her so long as she was not disturbed. In fact, given what she had become, it could be said that she might actually be deriving amusement from watching such a spectacle.

However, even though it was in her nature to simply sit back and observe and avoid getting involved, her outlook takes a completely different turn whenever someone she considered family was involved or hurt in any way.

And apparently, the girl he decided to adopt now fell under that category.

Still, as the man started walking towards the door of his office, heading for the living room, he could not help but feel that something was off...

_Great grandfather?_ the old man thought to himself, wondering what she meant by what she said.

**xxxXXXxxx**

"Thank you, please come again."

It was a nice weekend day in the Fuyuki City. After the heavy downpour the day before, the weather has greatly improved. True, clouds still filled the sky, but they were no longer thick and dark but instead they white and fluffy, without any threat of a downpour, serving only to shield the people below from the direct searing hit of sunlight, an ideal condition to go out shopping or have a picnic in the open.

And among the crowds of people who decided to take advantage of the fine weather, was a silver-haired female, who went by the Fujimura Yuki wearing a red jacket over a white skirt, carrying bags of groceries, humming to merrily herself, as she walked in the direction of their house.

And indeed, she was in a good mood, for everything was going fine, at least for the most part.

A week before, when her grandfather arrived from his business trip, Yuki had gone to ask him for a favour, a favour which concerned a certain blue-eyed seven year old girl, one which ended in success.

In truth, Yuki, at the time, was actually feeling really nervous. Yes, she could tell that her grandfather, while being the head of a syndicate group, also had a soft spot, yet she hadn't been sure if her request would be granted. After all, what she had done was technically kidnapping, not to mention, that the girl who she had taken, was actually the heiress, at least in paper, to a wealthy family which held a lot of influence.

Yes, the silver-haired female had done her homework, doing a bit of research on the Matou family. According to what she found out, the Matou, were once known as the Makiri were among the richest families, not just in Fuyuki, but also in the entire region. However, that was as far as she could go, for the law would not permit her, nor the person she requested to gather this particular information for her, a member of the Fujimura group who was part of the police force, to delve any further, which would have been a lot of help, for the predicament Yuki found Sakura in, just about made her certain that the Matou were engaging in shady and illegal activities.

Well, she maybe being a hypocrite getting angry over something like this, since the Fujimuras were basically also involved in shady and illegal activities, but at least prostitution, slave-trade, and human trafficking was not among them.

Regardless, even though she was unable to get the amount of information she wanted to get her hands on, Yuki knew enough, to know that getting custody of Sakura would not be easy. For not only were the Matous are powerful and influential family, there was also the fact that they were somehow allied the Tohsaka family, another wealthy and powerful family, which was influential enough to also have information about it, in the same way as the Fujimura's and Matou's, considered as classified.

Having seen with her own eyes how the Matou treat their own family, she actually wondered if Sakura was truly a Matou or just adopted. For some reason, as she looked at the pictures, the girl did not have any resemblance to her brother or her god damned drunkard of a father, or any of the other members of that family for the matter. In fact, Yuki could not help but suspect that Sakura might actually be related to the Tohsakas. She never managed to get that deep in her investigation, but she could see plenty of similarities just by comparing Sakura's face with the photographs. Heck, she actually looked almost identical to only daughter and heiress of the Tohsaka family.

Which was why Yuki could not help but feel truly grateful to her grandfather, for accepting her request. To Yuki's pleasant and unpleasant surprise, the old man already knew exactly what she was going to talk to him about. Raiga, after all, was the head of the Fujimura Group, and therefore, it was no surprise that the people who Yuki asked for helped reported to him, not to mention the fact that he always had bodyguards following Yuki and Taiga (and now, Sakura as well) around wherever they go for security purposes, even though they mostly stay out of sight as well as out of their business.

True, Yuki and Taiga had been able to shrug them off plenty of times when they wanted to have some fun, but since at least a pair of them were discreetly keeping watch at where Yuki and Taiga were staying, not to mention the fact that Yuki had the knack of inviting them in for mealtimes, and while they never stay at the dinner table (they would simply grab something to eat before returning to their post) they would have certainly seen that there was another person living with them.

Yes, she knew that her actions would probably cause a lot of trouble, but for some reason, she would not have been able to find it in her heart to return Sakura to her hellhole of a home. Sakura had never talked about it, nor did Yuki try to ask her directly for fear of traumatizing her further, but the silver-haired female could guess, based from her actions and reflexes, just how badly she was being treated.

"YOU CAN'T CATCH ME!"

Still, as Yuki looked at the children playing in the park, she could not help but smile.

For among them, was Sakura, who was wearing a cheerful expression on her face, laughing and shouting along with the others, as she leaped to the side, managing to avoid her shadow getting caught, moving it out of the way just in time as her playmate jumped on it

And the sight somehow made Yuki's heart feel lighter. For as she looked at Sakura's smile, the silver-haired female could not help but feel that it was worth all the trouble.

"KAA-SAN!" a female voice shouted happily, belonging to a girl with red hair and bluish-green eyes as she ran towards Yuki and hugged her.

Suddenly, the air around the park seemed to drop a degree, and the silver-haired female could not help but feel really uncomfortable, as she felt people, namely the other parents in the park, turn their heads in her direction.

In truth, the moment they had taken in Sakura, Yuki actually expected the girl to see her as an older sister, and call her Nee-san. However, instead of seeing her as an older sister, Sakura had somehow ended up seeing her as her mother.

"Kaa-san?" the red head looked up at her.

"I'm okay, Sakura, don't worry about me," she assured the younger female, as she gave her a warm smile. "Let's go home."

She was aware of course, of the implications, as well the rumours that would arise, and in fact, did arise, from the fact that a young girl was calling her as her mother. And as luck would have it, when she and Taiga had brought Sakura out shopping for the first time, they actually bumped into some of their classmates. Unfortunately, before they could get away, it was already too late, for Sakura had already called her Kaa-san, and Taiga, Oba-san, in their presence, which naturally, spread like wildfire and became quite a scandal.

Still, for some reason, she just couldn't find it in her heart to tell the girl off from addressing her in that way. Even though she wanted to be seen as an older sister, Yuki actually did not mind that Sakura saw her as her mother, and the only thing which bothered her was the rumours and which circulated and the odd looks she was given because of it. But since Yuki was happened to have a considerably long patience when she wanted to, it was easy to shrug them off. Besides, it would not do for her to explode in anger, since if she did, who was supposed to stop her older sister, who found it more difficult dealing with being called 'auntie,' even though she managed to adjust eventually?

Yuki did not know exactly why, but for some reason, during the first time that Sakura called her her mother, she actually thought she saw the image of a forest, where everything was white and covered in snow, and along with it, a strange feeling. Yuki did not know exactly why, but for some reason, deep down, even though she could not remember what happened, she could feel strong emotions gripping her heart...

...The feeling of hate, the feeling of hopeless longing, the feeling of being abandoned, left out in the cold, unloved, unwanted and uncared for...

And because of it, she was determined, to never do what her parents may have done, what Sakura's parents had done, promising herself, that she would never become like them, that she would love Sakura like family, and never abandon her.

Ignoring the stares and whispers, Yuki lifted Sakura and placed her on her back, her tiny legs dangling around her neck, while she carried the grocery bags with her free hands, and started walking home, and started humming her favourite song, while the girl on her back joined in, and the two of them sung it together on the way.

Ich weiß nicht, was soll es bedeuten,  
Daß ich so traurig bin,  
Ein Märchen aus uralten Zeiten,  
Das kommt mir nicht aus dem Sinn.  
Die Luft ist kühl und es dunkelt,  
Und ruhig fließt der Rhein;  
Der Gipfel des Berges funkelt,  
Im Abendsonnenschein.

Die schönste Jungfrau sitzet  
Dort oben wunderbar,  
Ihr gold'nes Geschmeide blitzet,  
Sie kämmt ihr goldenes Haar,  
Sie kämmt es mit goldenem Kamme,  
Und singt ein Lied dabei;  
Das hat eine wundersame,  
Gewalt'ge Melodei.

Den Schiffer im kleinen Schiffe,  
Ergreift es mit wildem Weh;  
Er schaut nicht die Felsenriffe,  
Er schaut nur hinauf in die Höh'.  
Ich glaube, die Wellen verschlingen  
Am Ende Schiffer und Kahn,  
Und das hat mit ihrem Singen,  
Die Loreley getan.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Mealtimes, in general, always started out as a quiet affair in the small house in which Yuki was staying in. Normally, given that the two out of three of the inhabitants of said house were generally loud-mouthed, vocal, and generally noisy individuals, it would not have been possible. However, due to the fact that both inhabitants happen to have a beast-like appetite combined with a bottomless stomach, they tend to forget all about yapping and instead focus all their attention on devouring the food in front of them.

Near the end of the meal, however, when the food starts dwindling, the tranquil air becomes turbulent, as the two sisters start fighting using their chopsticks, and it would occasionally end in the dining room becoming a warzone.

Of course, all of that changed dating back around two weeks prior, when Sakura started living with them. True, the two of them had not exactly changed, but this time, both of them first made sure that the newest member of the household had eaten her fill first and left the room, before they start fighting between themselves.

And indeed, Yuki could not help but be grateful for her presence. For ever since Sakura had become part of their family, Taiga, who had become fond of the girl she originally mistook for a character in some horror flick, had somehow been compelled to act more maturely, and her petty antics had decreased greatly.

True, Yuki had to admit that she was a little sad because of it, since she actually liked messing with Taiga, but then, that was part of growing up. Besides, it was not like her elder sister actually stopped with her pranks and antics, she had only brought it down to a more tolerable level.

And unlike before, Taiga had now taken an interest in helping out with the household chores. Before, Yuki had always been the one taking care of the house, including her elder sister's room, which was so messy, that she had to admit even a tiger's den would look better. In fact, it was probably because of this that Taiga had opted squeezing herself and sleeping in the same room as Yuki and Sakura instead. Not that she was complaining of course, since the silver-haired female liked the company, but while Sakura's reason had been valid, her older sister's excuse was not. Still, at least now that her room was clean, Taiga's excuse of 'not being able to sleep alone at night,' the same reason as Sakura's, was now more believable.

Perhaps, the reason behind this was because she had seen her two companions doing the chores together, and felt ashamed of her laziness. Either way, things had been looking up.

Except for one thing...

"Onee-san, could you tell me what that is?" Yuki asked her elder sister, trying to keep her voice calm.

The brown-haired woman, however, remained silent, shivering, as she looked at her creation.

Pasta, or spaghetti, depending on the choice of ingredients, would probably be one of the easiest types of food to cook. All that had to be done was boil the noodles for ten to fifteen minutes, heat the spaghetti sauce in a sauce pan for a similar amount of time while mixing in other ingredients like sugar and sliced sausages depending on one's preference, then VOALA, it's done.

For someone like her sister Taiga, however, accomplishing such a task could probably have been considered as a miracle.

Sadly, there was no such miracle which occurred.

And now, in front of them, was the result of the Tiger's attempt at cooking dinner. The pasta was overcooked such that it had become almost like porridge, while the spaghetti sauce... had been turned into coal.

"Nee-san, how many times do I have to tell you to leave the cooking to me?" the silver-haired female asked, exasperated.

"I... 'sniff'"... I...'sniff..." the brown-haired woman sobbed as she bit her fingernails. "It's just that... Sakura-chan said she wanted to have spaghetti... so I... UWAAAH!"

Truthfully, at that moment in time, Yuki would have wanted to do nothing less than smack her sister in the head.

"It's okay, Oba-san."

Unfortunately for Yuki, she could not find any opening to do so, as her older sister, in one fluid movement, had gone and hugged Sakura, tears falling from her eyes, while the younger female returned it, patting her on the back sympathetically

"Sakura-chan, I'll leave your Auntie Taiga to you, okay I'll see what I can make," said Yuki, as she ruffled her daughter's hair.

"Hai, Kaa-san," the red-haired female replied, as Yuki put on an apron, before heading off for the kitchens.

Yes, Yuki knew that Taiga meant well by her actions. However, it seems as if her older sister simply could not learn how to cook properly no matter how she tried, and the only thing she had ever succeeded in cooking were instant cup noodles.

Fortunately, even though Taiga made such a mess, Yuki and Sakura had just gone from shopping, and among the items she bought, were the ingredients for spaghetti, which she also knew was what the youngest member of their family wanted to eat.

Still, even though it was unintentional, that did not mean that Yuki would let Taiga get away with. For now, she would focus all her energy attention to preparing the food, but once dinner was over...

...it would be time for her to teach the Tiger of Fuyuki another lesson, one which she never seemed to learn.

**xxxXXXxxx**

"Sakura-chan, it's getting late. Why don't you go in and tuck in to bed first? We have a lot of things to do tomorrow."

"Hai,," the girl replied, before running into the house. "Goodnight Kaa-san. Goodnight Obe-san."

"Goodnight, Sakura," two voices replied together.

"Oh, and don't forget to brush your teeth!" the girl's mother called after her.

It was now ten o'clock in the evening, and currently, in the yard of a small house near Maburahara School, a woman with light brown-hair was lying spread-eagled on the grassy fall, shinai on her side, sweating and panting heavily, having just been subjected to the beat... sparring of her life.

"So have you learned your lesson?" Yuki inquired, as she looked down at her elder sister with a smug look on her face.

"I already said I was sorry," the Tiger of Fuyuki mumbled, as her sister helped her up, before they headed towards the house and sat by the porch. "Anyway, Yuki-chan, where did you learn that? I've never seen you use that move before."

"It's a secret," the younger girl responded, which caused the pained and apologetic look on the brown-haired female's face turn into one of annoyance.

True to her word, Yuki, who was fed up with her sister's constant meddling in the kitchens when it was obvious she had no skill whatsoever, decided to punish her for it. Of course, she would not mind if her sister were to experiment or practice, but there was no way she would allow the older female to cook their meals for them, not until she learned how to do so properly (and Yuki doubted she ever will), nor could she allow Sakura or herself to become the kitchen disaster's test subjects.

And since they now have another family member living with them, Yuki knew that the old methods of pranking or setting up traps would not work. So the only way for her to do it, as far as she could tell, was to vent out her frustration during her sparring matches with Taiga, for doing so would not only be a legitimate way of punishing her elder sister, it would also prevent the youngest member of their family, Sakura, from getting any weird ideas.

Besides, like Taiga, Yuki also intended to teach her daughter self defense, and allowing her to watch their sword play would serve as the first step.

"Anyway, Yuki-chan, have you talked to Sakura about it?" Taiga asked.

" I have, and she did not seem to have any objections to it, so long as the two of us are coming along, that is." Yuki responded. "We're leaving tomorrow morning."

"I see," the older Fujimura sister replied, as she nodded her head."Then, I guess I better start packing my things then."

"I suppose," she replied nonchalantly.

"What about you?"

"Oh," Yuki said in a musing tone, "I've already finished packing three days ago, unlike some lazy Tiger I..."

"DON'T CALL ME TIGER!"

With one swift movement, Taiga, who was already halfway through the door, turned around and lunged, shinai in hand, charging at her.

Seeing this, Yuki immediately grabbed her own wooden sword by her side and brought it up to defend herself from the incoming blow.

"Kaa-san, Oba-san, is everything alright?"

Only for the both of them to freeze in mid-action a moment later.

"Yes, Sakura-chan, everything's fine."

"T-that's right. Just go back to sleep."

"Oh, okay then," the young girl, who was half-asleep replied, rubbing her eyes, before she closed the door behind her.

"This is all your fault," Taiga muttered under her breath, as she let her shinai drop to the floor.

"My fault? Just who exactly was it who was shouting just a moment ago?"

"THAT'S BECAUSE Y-MMMMPH!"

"Shhhh!" Yuki hissed angrily at her sister, as she placed her hand over her sister's mouth.

"Fine, I'll keep quiet," Taiga snapped back, as her younger sister let her go.

And as Yuki watched Taiga as she marched into the house and closed the door shut behind her, she could not help but sigh.

It was strange so to say, but despite the fact that she preferred wearing clothes with stripes, even though she once owned an infamous sword known as the Tora-shinai, Yuki's older sister was somewhat sensitive and would normally snap whenever someone addressed her as 'Tiger.' True, she had much more self control now, but there were still times when she would suddenly go on a sudden rampage or outburst depending on her mood when the magic word was said.

Still, she knew her sister well, and unless it was something serious, her anger was quick to vanish, and Yuki was sure that the moment Taiga tucked in to bed, their little session would have been completely forgotten.

Yuki knew exactly why her sister was on edge that day, and it had absolutely nothing to do with their spar, nor did it have anything to do with Yuki calling her Tiger. In fact, she had actually intended to call her that, for she noticed that her older sister was looking down, and did so to lighten her mood, or at least change it. For as far as Yuki was concerned, a depressed Taiga was much harder to handle than a Taiga on a tantrum.

Yes, it was true that their grandfather Raiga had allowed Sakura into the family. However, when he did so, he had set one rule. Raiga would allow the young girl to stay and adopt her...

...on the condition that they leave Fuyuki City.

In truth, Yuki could not help but agree with her grandfather on this matter, for as far as she could see it, it would be the best way handle things.

Still, that did not exactly mean that it would easy. Yes, even Taiga could not help but agree with the decision of the head of the family. However, having to leave the place where she grew up in, made friends, having to move away from the city she called home... Taiga may have been able to act cheerful on the surface, but Yuki knew that the news saddened her.

And even Yuki herself, was conflicted, for just like her sister, she had already considered Fuyuki City as her home, and she had also met good people, among them her friends and classmates, that make leaving rather painful.

But then, the two of them also knew that there was no other way, for if Sakura were to stay in Fuyuki, no matter her change in hair color or appearance, someone was bound to recognize her. Therefore, leaving and moving to another place would have been the most logical solution.

Still, even though they knew that it would be hard, they decided to go along with it, and nothing could deter their determination. After all, even if they leave that did not mean that they lose their friends, and with the technology of the modern world, distance would no longer be an issue, and as the term would have it, their friends would only be one call away.

Besides, moving into a new place also meant meeting new people and a making more friends.

With these thoughts in mind, the silver-haired female, who went by the name Fujimura Yuki, entered the house, preparing to, in that rare moment, apologize to her older sister, since most of the time it was the other way around...

**xxxXXXxxx**

Magi, or in other words, those who use magic, had always been secretive individuals due to various reasons. First and foremost, most magi value research and therefore they consider their life's work even more valuable than their own lives, and they leave behind their life's work for their successor to further delve on and improve.

However, the head of the Matou Family, Matou Zouken, was an exception to this rule, at least in a way. True, even he considered leaps and discoveries in magic as great achievements, but when it comes right down to it, he values his own life as much as, or even more than his research, though it was basically because of something else, something which he had forgotten due to his old age. And because he had forgotten that important something that made him try desperately to go on living, all that remained was his desperate desire to go on living.

And indeed, he had found such a method to extend his life indefinitely, and the result was his body that was made of worms. True, he could attain a human form using it, but it does not change the fact that it was just the outer appearance, a shell, and it does not change the fact that it was still comprised of nothing of Crest Worms. And even then, his bind to the world was growing weaker. Before, he only needed to attack and eat a human body every fifty years, yet now, he needed to do so every few months.

Still, he managed to stay alive, and that was all that mattered.

Having five hundreds years' worth of experience, Zouken had been sure that there was nothing in the world who can rob him of his semi-immortality. His body, while far from perfect, could last indefinitely. The defences of his base, the Matou Mansion, if he activated them, were so powerful that it was almost impossible for anyone to breach them with getting badly injured or die in process.

And even if these fail, Zouken's last line of defense, were the worms themselves, which make up his body, powerful vampiric creatures which were much faster than they look, both in movement, as well as in gnawing its prey, able to do so at rates which was twice that of a piranha.

Yet now...

All of his hard work, all of his struggles, all of his precautions, all his effort to keep himself in the world of the living were proving to be useless.

The Matou mansion, despite its defences, has been breached. Even the most powerful spells had been unable to ward off the intruder.

Zouken had tried, done his best, to stop the creature's advance, yet nothing he did or tried, not his most powerful magecraft, not even his worms, worked against the assailant. But the worst part was that said intruder actually managed to make its way to the hidden basement of the house, different from the training chambers, despite the fact that it was concealed by the most powerful spells, and defended by the deadliest enchantments.

"Hmmm, so this is your real body," mused a female voice.

And now, as he saw his swarm of vicious Crest Worms being cut down like they were nothing before his very eyes, his spells being shrugged off as if they were a mere annoyance, the five-hundred year-old magus, who was normally calm and composed, could not help but cringe, in terror on the inside. He knew it, he could feel it, the futility of it all, his weakness, his helplessness. He knew that he had no chance whatsoever, yet still, even though he was absolutely terrified, he tried to maintain his calm facade on the surface, but failed miserably at it.

"Who are you?" the mighty head of Matou family, Zouken, asked weakly. In truth, if he still had any fight left in him, he would have probably still been struggling. However, he had nothing left. He could not move, his worms, though he did not know how, were all dead. And now, he could not even cast a spell to save his life if he wanted to.

"Who are you? What do you want? Why are you doing this?" a female voice sighed. "It's always the same demeaning questions."

The figure in front of him laughed, a high cold laughter which chilled the old magus' giant Crest Worm main body to its spine.

"Well, how should I put it," the figure began. "I am an angel. I am a devil. I am an avenger. And I have come here in behalf of the innocent girl you adopted and tried to defile with your foul magic."

As she said these words, the old worm's eyes could not help but widen in shock, as realization struck him.

"It was you?" Zouken asked in an almost demanding tone, as realization struck him.

The figure in front of him, however, merely grinned in madly in response.

"You really want to know who I am?" the figure inquired, the wicked smirk never leaving its face, as its eyes glowed an evil yellow.

"I am..."

"...your death..."

**xxxXXXxxx**

Travelling long distances was not exactly easy, something which Fujimura Yuki, found out for the first time, and as far as she could tell, it was literally a pain in the ass. She wanted to move, to kick, to groan and complain, but unfortunately for her, none of those were an option.

For on her lap, sleeping peacefully, without a care in the world, was Sakura. Which was why, despite her discomfort, Yuki just grit her teeth and endured the bumpy ride, not wanting to disturb her daughter, who had just managed to fall asleep.

Still, even though she was irritated, Yuki could not help but smirk inwardly, as she found that her sister Taiga, was having a much more difficult time than her.

True, Taiga could move more freely than her since she did not have a girl with her head on her lap. She was, however, on the receiving end of her niece's footwork who, probably because of the ride, was kicking in Taiga's direction while she slept.

"Darn it," the Tiger of Fuyuki groaned, as she poked the driver of the car in front of her with her shinai. "How long till we get there?"

Normally, such an action would have probably caused her to get kicked out of the house. However, since their driver was a member of the Fujimura Group, and the car being one which belonged to their grandfather, the poor man was used to her antics.

"Around ten more minutes, Ms. Taiga," the driver replied.

Noticing this, Yuki immediately looked out of the window of her car to check where they were. For in the entire time of their travel, this was the first time that he had actually mentioned an specific timeframe, as the rest of the time, he would simply answer 'We're Nearly There.'

And indeed he was right. They might not yet have arrived at the house where they were staying in, but they were already in the place where they were supposed to go to, for on the side of road, as Yuki saw, was a large sign, which read:

**WELCOME TO MISAKI**

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Now, I must admit writing this one took quite a bit of me, since I was deciding on whether or not to follow the canon events of Fate/Zero and thus I decided that while I will follow some, I will also mostly divert from it.

Also, I need a little of help from you guys. According to the Wiki, the end Tsukihime is the start of Fate/Stay Night. However, I am not so sure.

So please I need help on answering this question for me to be able to continue.

If for example, Fate/Zero happened in 1995 and Fate/Stay Night in 2005, then what year did Tsukihime happen? Please I really need to know, so that I will be able to follow the correct age lines in a way, and my succeeding plots will depend on it. T

And also, with the way I'm planning things out I also need your opinion on this matter: should this fic stay in the regular story fic, or should I put it in the crossover section?

Comments, suggestions and constructive criticism will be much appreciated.

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fate/Stay Night, Tsukihime, Kara no Kyoukai, or any of the stories of Type-Moon, except for the plot I cooked up based from their novels, and is written purely for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

_I am the temple of my swords._

_Warm is my heart, yet frozen is my soul._

_I have chanted over a thousand prayers._

_Bringer of justice, defender of innocents._

_Protector of the ones I love._

_And so I trudge forward._

_This is a path I shall not regret._

_So aid me in my goal, I beseech you, aid me in my quest._

_Awaken from your slumber._

_My Sanctuary of Blades._

* * *

**CHAPTER 5**

Racing and riding his chopper had always been one of the favourite past-times of the head of the Fujimura Group, who went by the name of Raiga Fujimura. The feeling of the wind rushing through his face, as the world around him seemed like nothing but a blur, it was indeed a wonderful sensation.

And it was for this reason that he had bought several kinds of motorcycle and motorcycle parts, to help him in his quest to assemble the perfect 'bike.' After all, old though he was, Raiga was actually quite knowledgeable and skilled when it comes to tinkering with vehicles, and thus, with his abilities, managed to construct his own models. He knew of course, that what he was doing could earn him and his group a lot of money. However, Raiga had no intention of sharing his knowledge with others, not even the Fujimura-owned shops, no matter how much benefit he could get from it, and the only person he had ever shared his secrets in the works with was his granddaughter, Yuki, who also possessed the flair and interest that he had, and could grow up to become even more talented than he was.

Sadly, even though this was the case, the girl had proven herself to be reckless, and once, she almost lost her life in an accident. And thus, even though she miraculously survived without any injuries, Raiga, who was worried sick and unwilling to put his granddaughter in danger, banned her from doing anything that was related to cycling, forbidding her to enter his garage.

Of course, Raiga was willing to remove the restrictions eventually, once she was old and mature enough, but for now, cycling, for Yuki, was a big No-No.

Unfortunately, no matter what he did, it seemed as if his efforts were in vain, for Raiga knew that Yuki had been to his garage while he was away on a business trip. True, there were no scratch marks on his bikes, nor was there any visible damage, but there was no way he could be fooled.

Yes, his silver-haired granddaughter was quite good at deception and manipulation. In fact, it was this skill of hers that actually made her suited to be the next head of the Fujimura Group, though to Raiga's relief, she did not seem to have any interest in it.

Yes, everything in the garage was right where Raiga left them. The choppers, the tools, everything seemed to be in order, except for one thing, which happened to be...

The gear of one of the bikes.

Yes, Raiga had to admit that it was a clever deception, for the fuel level was exactly as how he had left them. Even the tires, which were supposed to get damaged every time a bike was taken for a ride, had the exact same thickness and damage as it had before he left. However, Yuki left the bike's gear at neutral. Yes, it was always a reflex of good drivers to leave their vehicle's gear at neutral, but this was what caused her downfall. For Raiga had not left it at neutral, but rather at the fourth gear.

Still, even though Raiga knew what she did, the old man, despite feeling angry and disappointed at his granddaughter, decided to let it pass. After all, when he interviewed his men, Raiga found out that the night his old chopper had been taken it out for a ride...

... was also the night when Yuki brought the girl home with her.

Speaking of which...

"So it is done," the old man said to himself, as he, who had been riding his motorcycle, stopped by the side of the road, as he watched the commotion happening on the other side of the street, where firemen and local residents were working together to try and put out a large fire which had engulfed a western style mansion.

Yes, he had a really good idea of what exactly happened. After all, Raiga knew only one person in the world who would have been strong enough and cared enough to pull off something like this. And that person...

"Did you manage to kill him, Nee-san?" the old yakuza inquired.

"Yes, I did," a voice replied, belonging to a brown-haired woman, who was wearing a triumphant smile on her face.

...is his older sister...

**xxxXXXxxx**

"Class dismissed," the teacher declared, as the students, led by the class representative, bowed in unison, before they started filing out of the room.

It had been three days, three days, since Yuki, along with her older sister Taiga, and Sakura, had moved into the town of Misaki.

The town was, in a way, not really that much different to Fuyuki. True, there were some factual differences, like the fact that Miasaki was smaller than Fuyuki in land area, as well as the general information stuff, like the annual income, the number of commercial establishments, landmarks and the like, but basically, just like Fuyuki, Misaki, as far as Yuki was concerned, is also just another place where adults go to work, where children and teenagers go to school, where people lived their lives.

And the only differences is that Misaki, in the sense of the word, was a different place with different people, a difference which Yuki, while sad that her friends were not among them, could not help but be glad about it at the same time, for it had given her, as well as Taiga, the opportunity to have a new experience, and make new friends. Yuki had to admit that she missed her friends and family back in Fuyuki, but she knew that she had to be strong, for it was the only way.

Having moved out of Fuyuki, the three of them had to switch schools, and upon Yuki's recommendation, they had been transferred to Asagami Private Academy, one of the elite schools in the area, and she did so because of two reasons, which were enough to convince her grandfather, Raiga, to agree.

The first one is for the sake of her daughter. For Sakura, as Yuki noticed, had developed fear and dislike for the opposite sex (which, given what she had been through, it was not surprising), and thus, even though Sakura was able to control herself and hide her emotions, the silver-haired female thought that it would be best for her to enter an all-girls' school so that she could have as normal a school life as possible. If Yuki were to be honest with herself, however, before her violent tendencies came to light, even she had a lot of trouble dealing with boys in their old school.

As for the second reason, Yuki wanted her older sister Taiga, to take studying more seriously. True, in Maburohara, the Tiger of Fuyuki has not received failing grades, but as Yuki noticed, it was barely above average. And Yuki knew only too well that her sister was not dumb, and was actually a really fast learner, if only she would put in a bit more effort. With Asagami Private Academy's high standards, maybe it would be enough to reorient her for the better.

Overall, things had been going well for them, and they had now managed to settle in. Just like before, it was just the three of them living together in a house that was almost identical to where they previously stayed in, with four bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen which also serves as the living room. Yuki, like always, would wake up early to cook, while her two companions would help out with the other chores. The only difference is that they had school now, since summer vacation was over, which fortunately, probably because of her grandfather taking Taiga's tardiness streak into consideration, was only a short walk away from their house.

At least, that was how it seemed...

"WHO'S THERE?!" shouted Yuki suddenly, as she turned around and dropped her school bag and groceries, bringing out her wooden sword as she did so, having heard something moving from behind her.

"Woof!"

"..."

"It's just a dog," muttered the silver-haired female to herself, sighing with relief, as she saw the white spotted canine come out of the shadows near the garbage bins, which barked at her angrily before moving away, undoubtedly startled by her shout.

_I must have been imagining things,_ thought Yuki to herself, as she slapped herself twice on the face, before picking up her shopping bags, having just bought some groceries from the shopping district, where she had headed to after classes. She did not put away her weapon however, and kept her guard up, and gripped her shinai tightly with her free hand. It was during times like these that she regret her antics of slipping past her bodyguards, who, due to an agreement between them that was unknown to Raiga, were now focused on tailing Sakura, as well as guarding the house.

In truth, for as long as she could remember, Yuki had always had the ability to sense things which other people could not, a sort of intuition, which alerted her that something was happening around her.

And right now, even though she felt that she was no longer in immediate danger, Yuki, for reasons she could not quite explain, was feeling very uneasy. She and Taiga, who had been into quite a number of street fights, have developed a radar which allows them to sense danger in their surroundings, but unlike her older sister, Yuki's perception was at a completely different level.

They had fought opponents, enemies, who were dangerous in their own right, and there were those among them who were either quite skilled or merciless, or both that things got really dangerous. In fact, there was an incident, in which she and her sister got involved in a fight between the Fujimura Group and the men of a businessman who refused to pay the debt which they owed, even though he, who was able to hire thugs, obviously had the ability to pay it.

And in that particular incident, instead of the usual wooden swords which Yuki and Taiga were used to seeing, the enemy had guns and real swords, deadly weapons that were meant to kill not maim. Still, even though this was the case, due to the difference in skill, despite being outnumbered four to one, the raid ended successfully, and the businessmen and his goons were beaten to the ground. And the difference in skill was so great, that while the members of the Fujimura Group also had the exact same weapons in their arsenal as their opponents, they did not even have to draw a gun or unsheathe their swords. Yes, Yuki remembered it, the skill and power that was shown by her grandfather's second and third in command, fighters who were so strong that even though she had never faced them in a spar due to them rarely being around, she was sure she would not stand a chance against them.

At least during that time, since Yuki, as well as her older sister, ever since the incident, had been putting more effort into honing their own fighting abilities.

Yes, Yuki was not a stranger to danger and mortal peril. However, for some reason she could not quite understand, what she had just sensed, whatever it was, made her really nervous and uncomfortable, more than having a gun or a sword being pointed at her.

"Something is strange with this town," Yuki whispered to herself, as she continued walking towards her house. She hoped she was wrong, and tried to shake it off, but found it difficult to do so, for as far as her intuition was concerned, it was almost always proven to be correct...

**xxxXXXxxx**

It was ten in the evening at the Fujimura household, and currently, a silver-haired female, who went by the name Fujimura Yuki, had a dark look on her face, as she glared menacingly at her older sister, who was wearing a guilty expression that people had whenever they were caught doing something wrong.

It had become Sakura's and Taiga's habit to stick around near the kitchen whenever she was starting to cook dinner, the older of the two proving herself to be quite the nuisance. Yet for some reason, on this particular evening, neither of the two were present. After giving Yuki their usual warm welcome, the two suddenly vanished from the kitchens without a trace, and for the first time in days, Yuki actually had to call them for dinner, since the two were usually already at the table.

And then, things became even more bizarre. For Taiga, the Tiger of Fuyuki as Yuki knew only too well, had an appetite which would put even a real tiger to shame. Yet for some reason, on this night, she did not live up to her reputation. True, she still ate the usual amount, but what was peculiar was that when she reached her fifth plate, she suddenly declared that she was full, even though the food she had taken had barely even been touched. And then, as if to add to the strange atmosphere, even Sakura, who did not consume as much as either Yuki or Taiga, had done the exact same thing that her aunt did when she reached her second plate.

By this time, Yuki was already sure, based from her companions' odd behaviour, that something fishy was going on.

Knowing how sneaky Taiga could be, the silver-haired female, wanting to know exactly what her daughter and her sister were hiding, acted normally, as if she was oblivious to their obvious discomfort, so that they will let their guard down and end up revealing whatever it was they were keeping from her, a move which proved to be quite effective. Now, Yuki knew exactly was it was.

In truth, Yuki, despite being of a mature outlook, like many girls her age, was fond of cute and fluffy things and animals. However, among these many cute things which she found cuddly and loveable, there was one, one, which no matter how adorable they may seem to most people, she simply could not simply to like or come to terms with, and that particular animal...

"Meow!"

...was a cat...

"Explain," Yuki said coldy, as she stared at her sister Taiga with a piercing look that made her flinch.

"Well, you see..." the brown-haired girl stammered, as she started making up all sorts of excuses.

Yuki, however, was hardly listening to her explanations, and instead focused her attention on the creature that was resting lazily on a pillow which, based from the foam coming out of it, was already a victim its claws.

Yes, one the things which Yuki hated most in the world, were cats. She did not know exactly why, but for some reason, she simply could not stand the creatures, that she had to admit, she sometimes found it hard to understand how she had even managed to get along with her sister.

Taiga, who was known as the Tiger of Fuyuki, basically did not like being called 'Tiger,' and doing so would probably end up with the person on the receiving end of her wrath in the infirmary. Ironically, while she hated being called 'Tiger,' many of her habits resemble that of a feline. She eats a lot. She jumps around a lot, even her sword stance, as Yuki only knew too well, was based on a 'Tiger.' Even her pillow, her stickers, her stuffed animals, her pillow. Heck, even her bamboo sword, both her current one and the infamous Tora-Shinai that had been stripped from her possession, had a tiger strap attached to it.

By the way things are going though, Yuki had to admit that even her current shinai was slowly turning into something similar to her old sword, which could only mean that the source of the curse was not the weapon, but rather, it was the wielder.

Either way, the silver-haired female could not help but feel that her sister crossed the line this time around. Aside from that, Taiga actually had the nerve to 'feed' the creature, based from the small bowl beside the orange-striped cat, with the food which Yuki had prepared for her two companions.

Things had certainly gone too far.

Not wanting the feline to be in presence a second longer, Yuki took a deep breath and cleared her throw, and was just about to tell Taiga to throw the cat out of the house when...

"Can we keep her?"

At the point in time, Yuki felt herself stiffen, as the cat got up, stretched out its paws, and jumped into the arms of Sakura.

"Fine, you can keep her," Yuki told her daughter, whose face, which had a tense look a moment before, brightened, and was replaced by one of delight.

"Thank you, Kaa-san!" the girl said happily, as she gently placed the cat on the floor, before giving her mother a hug.

And as she saw the joyful expression on Sakura's face, Yuki could not help but sigh. If there was one thing in the world which she hated more than cats, it would be seeing her daughter sad.

Yes, she knew that it was wrong to give in to all of her requests, for she might end up spoiling the girl, but she just couldn't help it. Still...

"However, I have conditions," Yuki said with a smile, a smile which made a certain Tiger, who had a cat brushing itself against her legs, flinch.

"Um..Yuki-chan, why are you looking at me that?" the brown-haired girl gulped nervously.

...even though she did not really like cats, that did not mean that it was all bad.

_I might just be able to turn this into something productive,_ the silver-haired female thought, as she continued staring at her older staring her elder, who was slowly backing away, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, due to the evil smirk that was currently playing on Yuki's lips.

**xxxXXXxxx**

"It's not fair!" a brown-haired female groaned, muttering incessantly, as she continued to scrub the wooden floor with a piece of cloth.

Weekend is the time of the week which most people, particularly students and employees, always look forward to. It is a time of peace. A time of rest. A time of relaxation. And Taiga, the ever carefree Tiger of Fuyuki was among those who use it to the fullest, and it had been a habit of hers to go out and have fun, either with her friends or with her sister. They may have moved to a different place now, so it means the first one was not an option, but on the bright side, because they were in a new town, it only meant more adventure and excitement, for there were new places, shops, and food stands... especially food stands, to explore, something which her sister Yuki, due to the vacant hours, decided to take advantage of, having gone out shopping with Sakura.

Yes, Yuki and Sakura were out in the center of town enjoying the bright and sunny day, while here she was, stuck in the house, wearing a maid's outfit, doing all of the chores which her sister dumped on her. It was just too unfair.

Sadly, even though she knew it was unfair, Taiga also knew that there was nothing she could do about it.

_..._

"_I hope you understand, Nee-san. Since Sakura-chan will be too busy taking care of Tama-chan, she will be exempt from her cleaning duties..."_

_..._

Yes, Taiga remembered it, the arrangements that they had made to accommodate the new member of their household, namely the tabby cat, one which Taiga had to agree was, well, fair in a sense. After all, Yuki, as Taiga knew, even though she could hide it well, was not a cat person, and she knew that the only reason why her younger sister was tolerating the cat was because of Sakura.

She knew it wasn't her fault. She knew she did nothing wrong, yet sadly, it seemed as if the stress of having to put up with the feline was getting to her, and now Yuki was venting out her irritation on her.

The arrangement in itself was actually fine, and Taiga could find nothing wrong with it. However, that was not all that happened.

Being the granddaughters of a yakuza, Yuki and Taiga always had people guarding them, at least at their house, and they were staying at the a small building which was on the other side of the street to their own. However, they were not merely bodyguards, for two of them, while they did have fighting abilities, were also quite adept, despite being male, at handling domestic work like carrying heavy things, sweeping the yard, washing the dishes and the like.

Sadly, no matter how Taiga tried to get them to help, unlike the many times she had done so in the past, they had refused to do so, and even when she started hitting them, they were still adamant on their decision. According to them, it was Raiga, their grandfather, who gave them explicit orders to only focus on their job of protecting them, and were specifically instructed not to interfere with anything outside of that.

Then, to make matters worse, to Taiga's horror, her grandfather called her personally and told her that due to certain reasons, she will no longer be receiving money through bank account and instead, for convenience's sake, she will have to ask her younger sister for it, since their weekly allowance was being sent, including Taiga's, to Yuki's account instead.

And because of it, she knew that it was the end for her. With Yuki taking control of the finances, Taiga was now at the mercy of her younger sister. She had not yet been using it to its fullest, but holding something like this over her head, Taiga knew that she was screwed. For if Yuki decides not to give her any money, she was helpless. If Taiga tried complaining to their grandfather, she knew that the old man would not believe her, and would undoubtedly take Yuki's word over her own. And now, the brown-haired woman had no choice but to make sure that she remains in the good books of her younger sister.

Still, it was too much. It was just too much.

If only the cat had not approached them on their way from school. If only the damned feline did not suddenly jump in front of them, and using its cutest pose and enticing look, managed to win Sakura over. Yes, Taiga had to admit that she was also fond of cats, but it was because her niece wanted it in the first place that she thought it was a good idea to bring it home with them.

Still, despite her nature, she knew better than to vent out her frustration on a poor animal. She may not be an angel, nor is she the nicest person in the world but...

_?!_

"No..." the brown-haired girl whispered in despair, as her eyes strayed on the strips of bamboo scattered around the creature which was currently licking its fur.

"You..."

"Meow?"

"... MONSTER!" Taiga shouted, as she completely losing it, as she raised the brought down the broom on her hand samurai style on the feline...

"MEOW?!"

... which unfortunately enough, having sensed the danger, managed to jump out of its way.

"GET BACK HERE YOU STUPID CAT!" the Tiger of Fuyuki roared in fury, as she went into a frenzy, swinging her broom left and right, not noticing the damage and mess she was causing to the house, as she continued running with only one thing in mind: turning Tama into minced meat. It did not matter if the cat was cute and cuddly. Even though she was cat lover, Taiga did not care. All the Tiger of Fuyuki knew at that point, was that the creature destroyed and ripped to shreds her precious shinai.

And to someone like Taiga, such an offense was unforgivable.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Inside of a church in Fuyuki City, which is located on top of a hill that is about an hour away from Miyama, an old man, who went by the name Kotomine Risei, wearing priestly robes, as dictated by the faith, was looking out of the window of the House of God, with a worried, a very worried expression on his face, caused by the shocking event which had recently transpired. It had been a week since then, and while that particular incident did have much effect on either the Church or the Mage Association, only piquing their slight interest, he knew that the same could not be said for a few, which include the ones who planning to participate and involve themselves in the War which, given the signs, was bound to start in a few months' time.

The Matou, the old yet muscular and well-versed in martial arts- priest knew, was a prominent family of magi. True, their line was dying out, but they were still held with sufficiently high enough regard by the Mage Association. And even though the way their magic worked, which made use of Crest Worms, would be considered as vile by some, there were magi families whose methods were considered even worse and disgusting than their own. The way of Matou Magecraft, including Zouken's parasitic nature, may be near that thin line between what was considered as unacceptable by both the Mage Association and the Church, but their ways have not crossed it, and may actually be further from it than other magus families who were making use of even more inhumane methods.

Not that it mattered anymore, since the old worm was already dead, or at least the chance of him being dead is ninety-nine percent. For Risei, with his decades of experience in the field, knew that nothing was one hundred percent certain, even though all facts, even his own gut instinct, was telling him that Zouken had indeed been snuffed out for good.

And it was that particular incident, the death of Matou Zouken, or rather, the entire Matou family, which had caused a lot of stir and worry in some, and he, Kotomine Risei, was among them.

To think that a magus who was well-versed in the arts, so much so that he was able to cheat death for over five hundred years, not to mention the fact that his fortress, the Matou Mansion, with strong magical defences that even the Einzberns or Tohsakas would find difficult to overcome has been breached... as well as completely and utterly destroyed. It was certainly hard to comprehend.

For the Matou Mansion, Zouken's Stronghold, was no more. The plain-looking, yet great structure that was protected by various powerful enchantments, was now nothing but a pile of ash and rubble, burnt down to the ground, by what was undoubtedly a powerful Fire Element Spell, one which was enough to penetrate and break through the protective spell that prevented any harm, by any means, to come to the structure. A Fire Element Spell which Risei knew, based from what he garnered after investigating, that was known to very few people, and one of the only three people who the priest knew could use it...

...was the head of the family which owns the land of Fuyuki, who was none other than...

... Tohsaka Tokiomi...

And indeed, Risei could not help but feel confused because of it, as from what he could tell, the Tohsakas, even though it was only due to mutual interest, had a rather good and friendly relationship, as far as the way of magi was concerned anyway, with the Matou family, for hundreds of years, and Tokiomi, the current head, even went so far as to have her younger daughter, despite knowing what it meant, adopted into said family, although Risei knew that the man did with best interests, both as a father and as a magus, at heart.

And that alone was enough to convince the priest that it was unlikely for Tokiomi to be responsible for it.

Risei did not know all the details, but he knew that it was not the time to dwell on it. Whether or not Tokiomi was indeed the one responsible for it was not important at the moment.

For what happened led to a series of events which, based from what the priest saw when he visited the Tohsaka mansion, affected Tokiomi, who was his ally, and who had been set on reaching Akasha, in such a way that he was no longer in the right state of mind to pursue his goals, at least for the time being. He knew that the man, bearing the pride of a magus, would be able to recover eventually, but the priest was not sure if the head of the Tohsaka family would be able to regain himself soon enough for him to be able to participate in the Holy Grail War without help.

Being a man of faith and principle, Risei never really had a wish of his own, nor did he have a desire for the Holy Grail, although he wanted to see it appear, to witness the miracle unfold in front of his eyes. And at the same time, he wanted Tokiomi, who he owed a great deal of debt, to win it, as well as see his son, Kirei, find a reason to keep on living again, by aiding in the conquest.

Which was why, the priest decided, that helping the man recover would be his first priority. After all, thanks to the fire incinerating everything, all that was related to magecraft in the Matou household, all the evidences, were destroyed, and since it did not spread throughout the neighbourhood, all it took was a little hypnotism and planting of false memories on people and the authorities to fix things.

Risei knew that it would not be an easy task, but he also knew exactly what, or who, was needed for Tokiomi to get back into shape...

... which happens to be exactly what got him into such a state in the first place.

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Now, I've been doing a bit of research and refreshing on the Tsukihime series. I confess, unlike Fate/Stay Night,I have never played the visual novel, I did however, watch it but that was some years ago. So yeah, it took me a while, and I stopped writing for a while, since I decided that it would be better for me to get some background info first. The Wiki was really helpful, but I also found the manga version which was based on Arcueid's route very useful as well. Yeah, it's really difficult thinking of a plot for this, but rest assured, I'll try my best to make it as a good as I can, though if it sucks, I'm sorry but that means that it's my limit.

Anyways, this story will mostly focus on the main character, but I will be adding scenes from time to time, at least one segment which goes on about what's happening in Fuyuki, and yeah, as for the last part, I think you can guess what happened, and it will be revealed in the succeeding chapters. I'm actually thinking of doing something with Servant summoning for the Fourth War which by the way, will not be for many chapters yet to come, like how a certain pendant became a catalyst instead of a serpent skin, but it's still up for debate. And I'm also thinking about whether or not letting a certain character who thinks 'Killing is cool,' 'It is the will of God to see murder,' become a Master, since making a certain someone else master would probably make a certain ' traditional magus' collapse from being divided in his duties. It's still in the planning stages though...

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	6. Chapter 6

******Disclaimer: **I do not own Fate/Stay Night, Tsukihime, Kara no Kyoukai, or any of the stories of Type-Moon, except for the plot I cooked up based from their novels, and is written purely for entertainment purpose only. Oh, and I also don't own 07-Ghost and am using concepts from that story for entertainment purpose only as well.

* * *

_I am the temple of my swords._

_Warm is my heart, yet frozen is my soul._

_I have chanted over a thousand prayers._

_Bringer of justice, defender of innocents._

_Protector of the ones I love._

_And so I trudge forward._

_This is a path I shall not regret._

_So aid me in my goal, I beseech you, aid me in my quest._

_Awaken from your slumber._

_My Sanctuary of Blades._

* * *

**CHAPTER 6**

"Hey, man, how're ya doing?"

"I'm cool man. What about you?"

"Same here."

In one of the food carts which sell fried noodles in Misaki, two friends, regular students, were hanging out like usual, talking about the usual things which normal teenagers of their age would, like sports, girls, how boring it was to study, and the like. Eventually however, their conversation reached a certain topic.

"The air was tense that night," began one of the two friends. "The sky was covered in dark clouds, blocking out the light coming from the moon and the start. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, which indicated that a storm was coming. And on this very night that foretold the coming of a coming storm, a group of people were making their way towards the park. It was the night of a decisive game."

"Forty. There was forty of them. An unfriendly bunch, each one carrying with him his weapon of choice, ranging from baseball bats, bamboo swords, ton fans, cutters, heck some of them carried rocks on both hands as weapons. One of them, probably one of the smarter ones and probably the weakest since he was a nerd, was carrying a damned T-Square. And as for the leader of the group, a tall muscular man with a shaved head and eyebrows which made him look very intimidating, was carrying a stick, about two or three meters long, made out of tough metal. And they were heading towards the designated place, where their challengers were already waiting for them...or rather, a challenger..."

"Normally, such a scene would have probably caused them to laugh. I mean, for one person, one sole person, to face them alone, that's just plain stupid."

"The world was quiet and in a standstill, so much so that it was possible to hear a person's breathing, as the two sides stared at each other. The tension in the air was so great, you would have been able to cut a knife through it."

"Forty against one. It was fucking unfair to begin with. They were a fucking disgrace."

"Definitely disgraceful," the other boy commented. "I mean beating up a..."

"Let me finish," the boy's friend cut him off, to which the other person, sensing the other's irritation, closed his mouth and nodded.

"However, none of them were feeling confident. None of them laughed, and instead they wore grim and nervous expressions on their face, and the knees of some of them were shaking. Even their leader, while he managed to maintain a calm expression, had a couple of sweat drops forming on his head. For the lone person they were facing,... was a legend."

"They should have brought more men with them."

?!

"The group attacked, in groups of twos, threes, and fours, with the flow and coordination that can only be gained through experience, each one of them possessing his own set of skills suited for battle. They may only be street thugs, but they were no pushovers."

"And yet, despite all these, despite their strengths, they fell, one by one, as the legend pulled out a weapon, and with skills and power that far surpassed any of their own, mercilessly slashed and beat them to the ground, where they lay in agony, lying in a pool of their own blood, until only one, only the leader remained."

"It was time for the big showdown against the big gun."

"But even the big gun was no match against this legend, and in less than a minute, without managing to get a single strike in might I add, he was kneeling on the ground, crying in pain, his left arm clutching his right shoulder, which was hurting badly, his shoulder blade destroyed by the powerful blow that he had received."

"By that point you'd expect that the legend would just leave and let them at having won? But no, that's not what happened. Instead, the legend turned into a monster, into a merciless dog to the beaten, and even though the opposition was down, they were pummelled mercilessly. It was just too brutal to watch. And so they landed in the ICU, all forty of them"

"Oh man," the other boy whispered, fear evident in his voice.

"The White Dragon, or White Fang," the one telling the story said. "Her enemies were the ones who gave her that name, with her silver hair and piercing red eyes, she's easy to recognize."

"Her?! You mean it's a GIRL?!" the other boy shouted, feeling shocked.

"And a cute one as well," the boy's friend added. "It shouldn't really be much of a surprise though. After all, she's Fujimura Yuki, younger sister of Fujimura Taiga."

"That monster's the younger sister of the Tiger of Fuyuki?" the other boy gasped, who also knew of the Tiger's reputation from his friends who live in Fuyuki.

The boy's companion nodded in response.

"..."

A moment of silence passed, as the two fifteen year old boys felt pondered on their thoughts thinking the exact same thing, feeling glad that neither of the two freaks of nature were living in their town.

"So anyway, did you hear about the..." one of them began, as they changed the subject, and started talking about others things, to try and lighten the mood that became heavy thanks to the topic they were talking about, unaware that the two monsters they were talking about were now living in Misaki, nor did they notice that a person who was eating some yakisoba, wearing the uniform of Asagami Private Girl's Academy, and sitting a couple of tools away from them had been listening to their conversation.

**xxxXXXxxx**

"HAA-CHOO!"

In one of the grocery stores in the shopping district of Fuyuki which was open twenty four hours a day,a girl with silver hair and ruby red eyes suddenly sneezed violently, for no apparent reason.

"Someone must be talking ill about me," she muttered to herself, as she rubbed her nose on reflex, before she made her way to the counter of the local department store.

It was eleven o' clock in the evening, a time when people are supposed to go to bed and get some rest. Sadly, such a routine was not an option for Yuki this time around, due to an emergency situation that came about.

Earlier, Yuki, bringing Sakura along with her, had taken to spending the entire day exploring the town, mostly using up their time at the shopping district. And indeed it had been fun, visiting the various stores and seeing what the shops had to offer. It was a nice way to relieve stress after a long hard week of school. The only problem when they went shopping is that their little quality time had caught the attention of people.

In all the time that she was around Sakura, Yuki, who wanted to set a good example, tried her best to act calm and mature. However, whenever she went out shopping, being the thirteen year old girl that she is, Yuki just couldn't help herself from acting her age. The fact that she keeps calling her Kaa-san did not help either. She did not really mind it, but when it comes right down to it, from the viewpoint of those who saw them, her daughter seemed more mature and less childish than she was, having remained quiet while her mother was bustling with excitement.

Her only hope was that no one at their school saw them. For unlike Maburahara, Asagami Private Academy was one which held a much higher standard, as well as a school which, Yuki must admit, was not one she was enjoying much. Yes, it is true that the facilities are much better than the ones in her old school, but the people, the teachers as well as the students, who go there are in the right terms of the word, did not seem to know the meaning of fun. They were not cruel, nor were they unfriendly, but as far as she saw, they were too serious for their own good, even the younger students, that a part of her was actually wishing they went to a different school instead. At first she thought everything would be fine, but it seems like she was mistaken.

Yuki may like studying, but the oppressive air that can only come from a school that was overly academic oriented, even by her own initial assumptions and calculations, was something that even she found difficult to deal with. She may have been able to make some good acquaintances there and was now on first name terms with some of them, but they were, simply put, too stuck up, professional, and overall not fun to hang around with.

And if said serious students at the school found out about her and Taiga's connection to the yakuza, or that someone was calling her mother, while she knew she could find a way through it, it would definitely be quite a scandal, and while she would be able to explain it well enough, since Sakura, while she did consider her her daughter, was her sister in paper, such an incident might cause them to be alienated. True, there was no bullying nor outright oppression at the all-girl's school, but while she knew she could tolerate it, Yuki was unsure how Sakura would take being considered an outcast. Even Taiga, out of self preservation, restrained herself from acting like she normally would, and it was probably the reason why she was much noisier and louder at home than usual, probably to vent out her pent-up energy and frustrations.

And speaking of her sister, Yuki had to admit that what she did was a bit harsh, leaving Taiga all alone to do all the cleaning, and left her behind after but still, it should not have been all that bad. After all, she did leave something for her sister to eat.

When they got home, however, Yuki knew she should have known better.

Yes, the silver-haired girl had to admit, that Taiga, despite being the messy person Yuki knew her to be, had done a great job at cleaning the house. The windows were wiped, the floor was waxed, and the dust has been removed from the furniture. Everything was sparkling. And as Yuki inspected further, she knew she would not have been able to do a better job herself.

When she entered the kitchens, however, the better opinion she had gained momentarily for her older sister vanished in an instant.

Yes, she had always known, that her older sister was someone who was completely unreliable when it comes to cooking, something she found both pitiful and irritating. Yes, it was true that she pitied her sister's inability to prepare a decent meal, but still, this time, Taiga actually outdid herself.

The meal which Yuki had left for sister was already cooked, and therefore, and all Taiga had to do was take it out of the fridge and heat them in the microwave, not to mention the fact that Yuki left a note, with specific, step by step instructions on how to reheat food, which means that there was nothing for her to worry about. Reheating food, after all, was just about the same as pouring hot water into a cup of instant noodles.

Or so Yuki thought. For as she found out, it seems as if pouring hot water was the only type of cooking method Taiga was familiar with. For the curry which Yuki left for her sister... had been turned into coal, burnt, upon being subjected to too much heat.

And if that was not terrible enough, the entire kitchen... with the mess that had been created, it was hard to distinguish it from a garbage dump, what with all the peelings, food wrappers, and all other things which Taiga, undoubtedly in her panicked attempt at cooking dinner, had left lying around.

"Thank you, please come again," the lady at the counter said as Yuki left the grocery story. It was already late, and honestly, she was already tired but if she had not done so, they would have nothing for breakfast.

Yes, Yuki knew that Taiga meant well. After all, it was her fault that the food which was meant to last until dinner had been ruined. However, given her tract record and the proven fact that she was a walking disaster in the kitchens, it was hard for Yuki to tolerate her actions. Still, tolerate it she did, for she saw that her sister, the normally energetic Tiger, seemed out of it, stressed from the hard day's house cleaning duty, which was made even more difficult thanks to Tama, Sakura's pet cat, which destroyed one of Taiga's most valuable possessions; her shinai. Based from the cat's reaction of running away whenever it saw Taiga, as well as Taiga's dark glare whenever it saw the cat, it was a apparent that the two no longer get along as she originally thought they would.

_It's a shame I can't take this off her allowance,_ thought Yuki, as she sighed. Yes, she knew that this was an unnecessary expense, but to be fair to Taiga, she had to admit that, the kitchen disaster aside, the amount of work she performed still outweighed the damage she has done.

"KYAAAA!"

_?!_

In an instant, she was snapped out of her thoughts, as a shrill scream pierced through the evening air.

_This feeling-?!_ thought the silver-haired female, as a cold chill run up her spine.

Yuki was feeling tense and nervous, and she had good reason to be. She had felt it before, an ominous feeling of dread, whenever she was out in the city. And now, the feeling was strong, much stronger than it had been before.

However, despite the fear which she felt, before she knew it, she was already running, not away from the voice and continued treading home like her instinct was telling her to, but instead, towards the very direction from which the perilous air was coming from, wooden sword ready in her hand...

When she got to the scene, however...

"Crap," Yuki swore through gritted teeth...

...she realized that it would not be enough...

**xxxXXXxxx**

Somewhere along the back alleys of Misaki, a woman around her twenties, wearing a hotel business suit, found herself helpless, driven into a corner, with no way of escape, sweat dropping like beads from her forehead, her body frozen stiff, her eyes filled with terror, knowing that she was going to die, and there was no way for her to escape.

She had been running like someone possessed, as fast as her legs could carry her, to get away from that which was chasing her... a dog...

Normally, such a thing would not have frightened a woman. She may be an office employee now, but even though she holds a desk job, she kept her body physically fit, as well rather versed in martial arts and self defense which she studied to defend herself from stalkers and perverts. She would have been fine even if she had to face a German Shepherd or any of the larger breeds of vicious dogs...

The canine standing in front of her however, was different. At first, it looked just like an ordinary black dog, but to her horror, it suddenly grew and became more vicious-looking, three times as large as any ordinary dog, its sharp canine teeth bare, its evil blood colored eyes glowing in the darkness, it became more demon than it was dog, saliva dripping from its mouth, which was twisted into a feral grin, taking slow steps, one by one, as if it was savouring every moment, of watching the frightened woman break down before it finally consumed her.

After a while, the woman's legs finally gave out, as she fell to her knees, tears flowing from her eyes, knowing full well that these were the last moments of her life. And in these few moments, all she could think about were her two daughters, the older one seven years old, the other barely three years of age, who were depending on her, having raised them by herself ever since her husband died, thinking, worrying, fretting, fearing more, not at the fact that she was going to be killed, but at what was going to happen to her two precious angels, when she was gone. True, she was afraid to die, but while it was true she feared for her own well-being, she was more afraid for that of her children. For she was the only family they had, and without her, they would have nowhere to turn to.

The beast howled, a howl which echoed throughout the area, as it lowered its body into a crouching position, and with a feral roar, it lunged, with incredible speed, towards its helpless victim. It was the end for her. Knowing her death was unavoidable, the woman closed her eyes, resigned to her fate, her heart filled with regret, and waited for the beast's strike, which would either devour her whole or rip her to shreds, her only hope was that she would die before she could feel any of the pain, though given her experience with dogs, she knew it was unlikely...

?

One second, two second, three seconds... Several more seconds passed, yet the pain she was expecting did not come. Perhaps her life really did end swiftly like she hoped it would?

But if that were the case, then why was she still breathing? Why could she feel her own her beat?

Slowly, she opened her eyes...

?

Yes, she was still frightened and distraught, yet despite how she felt, she could not help but gasp in awed confusion, for in front of her...

"Whaaa..."

It was probably one of the strangest sights she had seen in her life. It was strange enough, as well as terrifying, to see a gigantic black dog that was only supposed to exist in novels, realize that it was no mere myth, then find yourself being targeted and running away from the fictitious beast.

However, what was even more bizarre than seeing and being almost eaten by a monstrous creature.

"Bad dog..."

Was watching someone scold said monstrous creature.

The beast, which just moments before was just about to devour her, was unable to move. For it was hanging upside-down, suspended in mid-air, rendering it immobile, by what seemed to be silver strings, which glistened in the moonlight, wrapping around the creature's arms, legs, body. The beast, as far as the woman could tell, was struggling, yet the strings, even though they looked as if they could easily snap, held firm, and no matter how much the dog struggled, it could not escape their hold.

Yet what the woman found strangest of all...

Was the someone who was facing said beast. For that someone... was a girl, a young girl, with silver hair, who was wearing a dark blue jacket, and had one of her hands raised, a hand on which the same silver wires seemed to protrude from.

?!

The beast barked and roared angrily, as it struggled even more ferociously than before, its bloody red eyes lighting up in fury, and as this happened, the woman could not help but feel afraid, for the strings had started snapping off, one by one...

She wanted to flee, she wanted to run, she wanted to scream at the girl to tell her to get away from the beast. Yet she could not. For she was frozen, terror gripping her heart, as the beast released a killing intent that was more sinister than before.

The girl, however, did not run away, and instead...

...she smiled...

And she did so, the woman, who already had a shaking experience that night, felt a chill wash through her, a terrifying feeling, which was even worse than what she had experienced just a few moments earlier... and it was coming from the girl...

The air around the alley shifted, as dark purple glowing lines started appearing on the girl's body, while something, with the same sinister aura, started coming out from her right hand, a large blob of similar color to the lines of her body. Soon however, the blob expanded, and then contracted, into something long and thin...

...a sword, a Japanese samurai by the looks of it, with a dark purple sheath and handle.

"I'm sorry," the girl said in an apologetic tone, as she stared up at the creature, her smirk growing wider. "But my family is waiting for me at home, so I can't play around with you anymore."

And as the girl said these words, the beast, which had already been frantically trying to break free, broke into a frenzy. However, unlike before, when it was full of murderous intent, the beast, instead of emitting hostility, was now radiating fear, fear and terror. And as the woman looked at its feral face, she thought she could see the same expression which she had on her own face, before it turned towards the direction of the exit of the alley, whimpering, desperately trying to escape, the strings that were holding it snapping off one by one, as the silver-haired girl slowly walked towards it. Then...

... it stopped...

For a moment, the woman just stood there, blankly staring at the scene before her, as the beast, which had been struggling with such force that the foundations of the buildings on either side where the silver strings had been attached to were trembling at the force, suddenly stopped doing so for no apparent reason. Then...

"KYAAAA!"

The woman screamed, a scream of shock and terror, which surpassed even the volume of the beasts howl, before she fell down to the pavement, unconscious, caused by the shock of what she had seen, which, after everything she had experienced that night, caused her mind to shut down.

For in the woman's eyes, the girl had not done anything, aside from approach the beast. Yet in reality, her movement was simply too fast for her eyes to follow, and thus did not notice the silver-haired girl draw out her sword, and in a flash, chopped off the large demonic dog's head, which fell to the ground, followed by a splashing sound, as blood started flowing from its neck, which splattered all over the pavement.

"Huh?"

...as well as the girl...

"My clothes," the silver-haired girl whispered quietly, yet her voice was filled with silent rage, as she looked down at her clothes, which was now soaked in the beast's disgusting crimson blood.

It was probably fortunate, truly fortunate, for the woman, that she had fallen unconscious when she did. Otherwise, given the distraught state she was already in, if she had witnessed what happened next...

"YOU RUINED MY CLOTHES YOU STUPID MUTT!" the girl screamed in fury, her ruby red eyes flashing, as the sword in hand grew longer and larger, turning into a large curved sickle with something which resembled a mouth on the other side of the blade, before she hacked and slashed away mercilessly at the already dead corpse of the demonic dog.

...she probably would have died out of shock or from a heart attack...

...

**xxxXXXxxx**

"My clothes... they're ruined..."

It took a while for Yuki to finally calm down, and now that she did, she could not help but look in despair, at the ruined remains of her new clothes that lay at her feet. Yes, she found it fortunate that she always brought an extra set of clothes with her in case there was an emergency like this, yet even though this was not the first time it happened, she still found it hard to take.

Yes, Yuki knew that it was her fault. Had she not been as careless as she had been, allowing herself to be distracted by the woman's scream, she probably would have noticed and dodged out of the way in time. Yet she did not. She was careless, and now she was paying for it. She may have been able to vent out her frustration, but still it was not enough to satiate her, for the clothes she was wearing, were new clothes which she had bought when she went shopping with Sakura earlier that day, and now they were unfit to wear. True, she can wash the clothes, yet Yuki felt that even if she did, they had been defiled and dirtied, and would never be the same again.

"Why the hell am I doing this anyway?" Yuki muttered to herself, as she continued pouring alcohol and cologne all over her body, in an attempt to remove the disgusting feeling which she felt.

And as she did so, she recalled it, the dream which she had, the dream which started it all...

_..._

_It was a night with a beautiful moon. Even though it was winter, the weather did not seem to be cold, and in fact, it actually seemed quite warm. That was probably how it was. And in the corridor of a large Japanese style mansion, he sat beside a man with messy black hair who seemed to be in his late twenties or early thirties. The man, who was his father._

"_When I was a child, I wanted to be a superhero." The man said suddenly after a while, with a tired look in his eyes, his voice weak, as if in resignation._

"_What? What did you mean by 'wanted?' Did you give up?" The boy asked in an angry tone._

_The man laughed apologetically in response, as he looked at the sky._

"_Yes, unfortunately. Being a hero is a time-limited thing, and it becomes hard to call yourself that when you grow up. I wish I'd found that out earlier."_

"_I see, then I guess it couldn't be helped," the boy told his father._

"_Yeah, it really couldn't be helped," the man replied._

_The man sighed, turning his head towards the boy, wearing a sad smile, before he returned his gaze towards the heavens, the look on his face of one who was filled with sorrow and regrets, as his eyes slowly closed to welcome the darkness._

"_Yeah, it can't be helped, so I'll take your place."_

_Suddenly, the dying embers of light in the man's sullen black eyes returned as they shot open, turning to look at his son once again, who was wearing a determined look on his face._

_"It's impossible since you're an adult, but it should be all right for me. Let me take on your dream..."_

"_...I will make it come true..."_

_Before the boy could finish, the man laughed. He made a face like he didn't even need to hear the rest._

"_Yeah, I'm relieved," the man said, before he closed his eyes, which were no longer dull and lifeless but filled with hope._

_Since his father looked so peaceful, he thought he would wake him up again in the morning. Yet in his heart, the boy knew that no matter how many mornings came by, he would never be able to wake him up, for his father had entered a very long slumber, a slumber known as death._

_There were no sounds of insects in the garden as it was silent._

_In that bright moonlit night, he did not make a single sound, not a sniff, not even a sob._

_Yet he was unable to stop his tears from flowing in endless streams from his eyes._

_..._

Yuki was not sure if it was just a dream or a memory, but somehow, she had felt it, the boy's emotions, his admiration and gratefulness for the man, his resolve to follow the same path he took, to become a superhero, to become someone who saves other, having watched it from his perspective. The desire to become a superhero, the wish bring everyone happiness, it was indeed a wonderful thing. And yet, at that time, in that dream world, what Yuki felt...

...was rage and hate...

Traitor. Hypocrite. Two-faced bastard.

She did not know exactly why, but somehow, the dream of a father dying and a son stepping up to continue the path he took, the dream which would have seemed sad and grave, yet carried some hope, to most people, made Yuki feel anger and resentment. She did not feel any hatred for the boy, but the man, the man, who was also a stranger to her, who may be nothing but just a pigment of her imagination, yet that particular pigment of imagination made her blood boil, as if somewhere, deep down in her heart, she recognized who he was, and that he was someone who had done her wrong.

"Ugh..." Yuki heard a female voice groan.

_Oooops. I almost forgot about her,_ thought Yuki to herself, as she finished changing clothes from behind a pile of boxes, and walked towards the woman who was lying on the pavement, placing her hand over her forehead.

And yet, despite the great fury which she had felt, she was gravitating towards that path, the path which the boy had decided to take, the path which had been taken by the man, who was someone she hated.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," she whispered to the unconscious woman. "Do not worry though. When you wake up tomorrow, you won't remember a thing."

Saying that, a white light suddenly glowed from her hand, as Yuki cast a spell to modify the person's memories. Then,she gently placed the woman on her back and started running towards the direction of the woman's home. Yes, Yuki knew that by reading the woman's memories, she was invading her privacy.

However, she also knew that it was the best option, and she did great care not to delve in too much, and stopped once she got the information, namely the woman's residence which she needed. Still, even though they were only bits and pieces, Yuki could not help but smile when she realized that the one she saved was generally a good person.

At that time, she would have wanted nothing more than to get straight home and take a nice hot bath, but decided that it could wait.

Part of her hated it. She hated, not just the person, but the wish, the desire itself, to become a hero, to become someone who saves others. Yuki did not understand why, but it felt like déjà vu, as if she knew someone who had taken that very path, and threw away something which was more precious than that wish. And yet, even though it was the case, despite all the hatred, all the loathing, despite all the negative emotions that she felt, even though she felt that she was going against her own conviction by pursuing it as well... she was doing exactly that...

Yuki had no intention of ever choosing that wish for that which is more precious to her, and she would throw it out of the window if ever that time comes. She would be partial, she would be selective. She would prioritize them over it. But still, she would try to pursue it, for no matter how she tried, she simply could not deny, that the wish to save people...

...was indeed a wonderful wish...

**xxxXXXxxx**

"Interesting."

Inside of his castle in an unknown location, with gray hair and eyes, and wore a black trench coat, was looking out of a window. He was a tall man, with a strongly built muscular body, and based from his overall appearance, was probably around his mid thirties or early fifties.

In truth, however, that was only his appearance. For he was no longer a man, but a vampire… no, that would not be the correct term to describe him. For even though he was a vampire, he was more beast than vampire, no, a creature which was made up of hundreds of beasts, different varieties of powerful creatures and monsters, that were compacted into that body of his. He was originally an alchemist, and through hard work and perseverance, he had developed a method at the apex of his magical research which allowed him to absorb and merge his existence with the lives of other creatures, which thus allowed him to acquire a form of immortality, and despite his outward appearance, he was actually over a thousand years old.

And aside from being immortal, he was powerful, immensely so, that even the original vampires would probably have trouble dealing with. It would not be merely hot air if he boasted that he could take on a True Ancestor, depending on circumstances, in a one on one battle, one which would soon be put to the test. For one of his fellow Dead Apostle Ancestors had asked him to go and eliminate the last known True Ancestor. Still, he had plenty of time to do that, and even though he did not exactly where she was sleeping, he knew who her target was and where she would go when she woke up, and thus, he would take his time and wait for the right moment to strike, even if it took years. After all to someone immortal like him, with the exception of his slowly deteriorating mind, time was of no consequence.

He had always been focused on his research, his eternal thesis, which was understanding and gaining full control over the disordered dendogram that is his body, for his ultimate desire was to fully understand the chaos which formed him. He was the one who created it, yet even he did not yet have the complete answer.

Being someone who had lived and experienced life for a very long time, there were very few things, aside from his research, which piqued his interest. Yet now, he had found something which managed to considerably divide his attention.

Aware of the place where his intended target would go to, he always had at least two of his familiars, which were actually part of his own body, roaming around and patrolling the town for any signs of her, and since they were disconnected from his main body, they had to feed, consume and devour from time to time. They may be part of him, but at the same time, they were separate beings, with their own consciousness. Such was chaos.

And like always, his familiars would return to him to report, before daybreak, for while he had conquered his weakness against the sun, his familiars, on their own, would be destroyed under the sunlight. Yes, everything was normal, and there no changes, no sign or presence of the True Ancestor that was his target. Except for one thing….

… one of his familiars did not return…

The man, or the beast that was once a man, must admit that he was surprised. However, it was not because his familiar was slain. No, the reason why he was feeling uneasy, albeit only slightly, was because the familiar that had been slain…

…was defeated and killed with ease…

Yes, he was aware of the presence of clans with special ability in the town who, while they did not stand a chance against him, could destroy his familiars, so it did not really bother him much when one of them was killed. After all, he could simply absorb them back into his body or, since he did not want to get too much attention on himself, he could just absorb other similar creatures as replacement.

However, the way that one of his dogs were killed, not to mention that it was one of his more powerful ones that had been taken down, made him a little nervous, but most of all, what really got his attention…

… was the way that she took down his familiar…

_What is she? _the beast thought to himself. In truth, he actually contemplated on tracking down the girl and killing her immediately for what she had done, but at the end, he decided against it until he could get some answers.

Having lived for millennia, he had various experience, as well as encounters, with various kinds of creatures, yet never, in all that time, has he seen or met someone like her. He could not come to a complete conclusion yet, since even though his familiar was part of him, there were still some details missing, but even though this was the case, he was sure of one thing. The girl…

…she was no ordinary human, or rather, no ordinary magus…

Yes, she may look like a human, and in fact, she even smelled like a human. Yet there was something about her, something different, something unnatural, and it was not the fact that she could use magic. For there was something peculiar yet at the same time, unfamiliar about her, that made her unique and different…

…and one of them, was the weapon she wields, which seemed to be an extension of her soul...

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Yeah, I have to admit, it took me quite a while with this one, so I hope you think it's good enough and worth the time reading.

I have actually been watching, or rather, rereading the wikis of my favourite anime, to get some ideas, so overall, this will probably turn out as a bit of a slight multi-crossover, to get something different, and I'm happy to say that I have found one. Yes, it's only slight, but these additions, hopefully, will make my fic a bit better.

Oh, and before I forget, in added acknowledgement, I have taken some lines with a few edits directly from the Fate/Stay Night Visual Novel, as well as the Type-Moon Wiki.

As for the suggestion of Yuki summoning Emilya, well, I'm thinking about it. As a bit of a spoiler, I'll say this now. Since you've probably already pretty much guessed who Yuki is, then I'm sure you're thinking she could use 'that' type of 'magecraft' which allows her to reproduce any 'sword' she sees. However, I'm planning to make it so that she could not use that magic, and she could only use part of it, which is 'full understanding' of how to use 'swords' but not reproducing them, and she could only reproduce 'swords,' if she summons her Reality Marble. It's not yet decided, but it's likely this will be how things will be. She has the same abilities as her Heroic Spirit/Counter-Guardian brother who saved her (you already know who she is anyway) and the same Reality Marble, but she cannot use projection unless she manifests it.

And this setback will be due in part to the current weapon, which will be her main, that she is wielding. Oh, and if you're thinking it's a Bleach concept and that her weapon is a zanpaktou, then you are mistaken.

As a final clue, aside from the descriptions, of what weapon she is using, go to the 07-Ghost Wiki. For those of you who are a fan of this series, I'm sure you can already guess which one it is, although I've added some modifications, and you'll find more descriptions of its added abilities and... lack of, as well as how it ended up where it is, in the later chapters. Hehehe. One last thing I'll tell you though, is that 'it' likes its current wielder, just as much as 'it' did its first, although it does not like her ability to reproduce swords, even if she does not fully know about it yet.

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter…

Later then, people…


	7. Chapter 7

**********Important Notice:** Due to the many ideas, both major and minor, that I am borrowing/taking from different Anime/Book/Manga Series, like 07-Ghost, Get Backers, Rorouni Kenshin, and others, this story will now be moved to the crossover section.

* * *

******Disclaimer: **I do not own Fate/Stay Night, Tsukihime, Kara no Kyoukai, 07-Ghost, Get Backers and other Anime/Manga/Books etc. except for the plot I cooked up based from said Anime/Manga/Books etc. and is written purely for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

_I am the temple of my swords._

_Warm is my heart, yet frozen is my soul._

_I have chanted over a thousand prayers._

_Bringer of justice, defender of innocents._

_Protector of the ones I love._

_And so I trudge forward._

_This is a path I shall not regret._

_So aid me in my goal, I beseech you, aid me in my quest._

_Awaken from your slumber._

_My Sanctuary of Blades._

* * *

**CHAPTER 7**

Once upon a time, God, the creator of all things, found Himself in short hand, and even with His omniscience and Almighty powers, he found that having too many things on His plate was distressful. Therefore, like He had always done, He used His powers and created Death, and assigned him with the task of presiding over souls, as the judge, jury, pardoner or executioner, depending on how the being who owned the soul lived its life.

God was pleased, and hailed Death as his greatest and most perfect creation. Death, on the other hand, lived up to his title, and executed his duties justly, fairly and flawlessly, at least at the start. As time passed, however, a series of events led Death to descend into darkness, and in the end God ordered his execution, furious that His daughter was murdered by His own creation.

The fact, however, is that while it was true that Death was the one who ended her life, it was unintentional. For Death was in love with God's daughter, and he would never have found it in his heart to kill her. What happened was just an accident.

And so the story went. Death, in his desperation, went down to the mortal realm, in an attempt to find the reincarnation of the one he loved, peering into the souls of every single human he met. Yet his actions, while they did not entail malice, had a negative effect on those he peered through and were corrupted. Soon, his sanity, which was degrading steadily ever since he killed the one he loved, became a full blown madness, and he started to slaughter the innocents in his frenzied attempt to find his lover, and this went on for some time.

Finally, God, who saw the havoc his greatest creation was causing has gone too far, decided to put a stop to it. Using the same material which He had used to create Death, God created seven beings, which were similar to Death in a way, each one possessing one of Death's powers, and God sent them to the mortal plain to execute His greatest creation, who was now His greatest enemy.

In the end, they were unsuccessful in their attempt to remove Death from existence. However, the seven did manage to defeat him, and using two powerful artifacts, they sealed Death's immortal body, and locked the memories of his soul, the two separated, to never become whole again.

Death's soul would be forced to wander for all eternity, into the cycle of reincarnation, never able to do so in his true body, and was given the worst punishment, for Death would never be allowed a recluse in afterlife, not in Heaven, and he was not even allowed to go to Hell.

But this was nothing compared to what else was in store for him. It was not God's design, nor were his enemies behind it, but unknown to Death at the time, even if he escaped his punishment, he was cursed, to never see his beloved ever again.

Death managed to revive himself, reuniting his body and his soul, yet eventually, he was defeated, his existence, through enormous effort from his adversaries, finally destroyed.

At least, that was how it remembered the events, the events which eventually led to Death's final fall. After all, it was the one which landed the fatal blow to Death, Death, who was its first and only true wielder.

It did not want to do it, and in fact, it had done its best to struggle, refusing, with every fibre of its being, to attack Death, who it recognized as its true master. Yet it had no choice. It did not want to hurt him, yet the one who was forcibly using it had too much willpower than no matter how much it refused to obey, it was forced to do his bidding. And in the end, Death, God's greatest and perfect creation...

... was killed by his own scythe.

It knew it wasn't its fault. It knew it was left with no other choice. Yet it could not help but feel great guilt, guilt at having betrayed its true master, who it loved and cared for as a partner, friend, comrade, family, something which could not be said of its current wielder. Had it any choice on the matter, it would have already devoured the one who was using it, who was nothing but one of the seven pale and inferior imitations of Death, yet after killing Death, was now considered Death's successor, and had now taken his place, something which it could never accept.

For as long as it could remember, it had been performing its duties, both in the hands of its master and of the filthy copies, one in particular, as a disposal system. It has the ability to eat souls, and therefore can act as a judge to where they will go in the afterlife, creating a path for the good spirits towards heaven, those that were neither but still redeemable to purgatory, while throwing those that were not to hell. As for the souls that were to evil to even deserve to go to hell, it destroyed them, yet now that its true master is dead, it saw no point in continuing living.

It was practically immortal, and could continue existing indefinitely, being what it was, yet for it to do so, it needed energy, energy which was available in abundance all around them, although it got its nourishment mostly from its wielder, and the souls it cut and judged. Yet if it did not receive at least a minimal amount, even if it was somewhat perpetual, even it would die. And since it wanted to die along with its true master, it tried to starve itself, refusing to perform its duties, even denying its instinctive urge to continually absorb energy from its hated wielder to maintain its existence.

Yet its wielder would not allow it, and continued to force-feed it, as the mere fragment continued his work. Realizing the futility of its efforts, it decided to take a different approach, becoming an obedient, docile, weapon, that did its wielder's bidding, or at least pretended to do so.

In all the time that it had been with its current wielder, before it was forced to kill Death, it had always wanted to possess, to take over, to destroy him, for it hated him, and would never accept him. Yet it had no choice, for the fragment, admittedly, was too strong for it to overcome. The will of this particular fragment was so powerful that it had no choice but to obey. Which was why, the only way it knew for it to succeed with its plan, was to earn the fragment's trust, biding its time, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

And earn the mere fragment's trust it did. At first, the mere fragment was always on his guard against its possible assault, yet as time passed, he grew trusting, trusting enough, to keep his guard down, a choice which had led to the fragment's downfall.

Carefully timing its revenge, it struck when its hated wielder's defences was at its lowest and devoured him, having been injured while in the process of performing his duties, just as Death had once done with the other mere fragments.

Of course, what it had done had not gone unnoticed for long. God, furious that His Champion has been killed, gave the orders for it to be destroyed. However, it did not really mind, for in fact, its own destruction was actually what it was wishing for.

Still, it had no intention of going down without a fight, and so it fought, it struggled, against the six other fragments, that had been sent down once again from Heaven out of their peaceful retirement, to deal with it, planning to take as many of them with it as it fell.

It knew of course, that its attempt was futile, for while none of the other six mere fragments could wield it, each one alone was more than capable of destroying it. Even with the strength and powers it has gained from devouring its hated wielder, two of the mere fragments would have been enough to wipe it out of existence. And now that its connection to the realms of heaven, purgatory and hell had been cut off, it knew its chances were even slimmer, not that it really mattered.

And so it fought a battle it knew it could not win. It did not know how much time passed, nor did it really care, but it made sure that it was taken dearly, and before it was finally struck down, it managed to heavily injure all of the fragments, and managed to take one of them with it. It was satisfied, though it wished it had done more damage.

And as the fragments were about to deliver the final blow, the last thing which entered its mind was that it will finally be able to reunite with its master once again, in the place where those that have been wiped from existence go to, or at least, since it knew that was next to impossible, its actions would have made Death proud, and it managed to die and meet the same end that has been dealt to its master.

With these thoughts in mind, it managed to make a small smile, before its adversaries struck it down, and it knew no more.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Hunger. That was the first thing it felt when it came to, a feeling of starvation that it was greater than any it had felt before, that it thought that it could die. It did not know what, when, where, who, or how. All it knew, was that it was hungry, and that it needed to eat.

And then it saw it, a soul, a meal that was available for the taking, and it was no ordinary meal. For the soul that it saw, held so much energy, so much so that it would have enough to satiate its hunger for a very long time.

It wanted to eat it, to devour the soul immediately, but it stopped, as it began to recall itself and remembered that what it wanted was to die, and devouring the soul would prolong its life.

Still, it had to admit that what it was seeing was quite interesting. For the soul which was equivalent to a feast, as it realized, was surrounded by a great malevolence, a curse, that seemed to be made up of every crime, of every sin, of every wrong doing that has ever been committed.

And it could not help but wonder how it was possible. The soul, as it saw, held not only something evil, but all the evils of the world. And yet, despite this fact, the core of the soul remained pure. It was not good, nor was it evil, however as it saw, the soul, despite being shrouded by darkness, remained blank.

Despite having judged and devoured countless souls, it has never seen one as curious this, one which carried and was surrounded by evil, as if it were its doing, yet remained untainted. It was indeed a mystery.

After a while, however, it came up with a conclusion: the soul was innocent, and the reason why it carried so much evil was because it was placed upon it, as a curse, condemned for countless crimes, yet it had remained untainted, for the very reason that it was unaware, and therefore not guilty of said crimes.

Innocent, the realization that the soul in front of it was innocent made it recall painful memories, memories of its time in the hands of Death, its friend and wielder, and it could not help but flare up in anger. Death's action may have indeed killed God's daughter, but it knew that its partner was not guilty of the crime. Yet despite this fact, God treated Death unjustly and unfairly, sentencing its partner to execution.

It no longer had any reason for living, and thus it knew that the course of action it was about to take would only help prolong its agony, but despite this, in the end, it decided to devour the soul. For it sensed it, it could feel it, that for the soul, continuing to exist was far worse than being wiped from existence. It was not its style, but having recalled that its master, as well as itself, suffered through the same thing, it ate the soul and destroyed it, as an act of mercy.

Now all it had to do was to wait, and wait, and wait. It may have consumed a large amount of energy, but so long as it did not take in anymore, it would eventually fade away and disappear.

"No, you won't die, Shirou. Because I'm the one that's going to shut the gate."

Then it heard it, a voice, a female voice that it did not recognize, yet the feel from the speaker, seemed so familiar, that it felt nostalgic, an angelic voice, that stirred something in its heart, something which it had forgotten so long ago.

It thought it was the end. It thought that it was over, and that all it had left was to wait for its doom, to slowly fade and rot away, without any reason left to continue existing. And yet, it was mistaken.

It was just a tool, that much it knew, a companion and friend to Death it may have been, yet still a tool, and instrument, that was used by its wielder. Yet despite this fact, it had a mind of its own, it had a consciousness of its own, and it could decide on its own. And at the start, Death, despite being its wielder, it was just like it, a tool, a part of the system, which was tasked to govern souls. But when Death met God's daughter, things had changed, and the originally perfect yet emotionless being, became one that was lively and full of it, although Death paid the price for it, by losing his perfection.

Still, it knew that its true wielder did not mind the change, and did not, for a single moment, ever regret meeting her, the one who taught him to feel emotions, the person he fell in love with.

And in the same way that Death learned how to love, so did the weapon it wields. It may have a consciousness of its own, it may have the ability exist independently as a separate being from its wielder, but they were still basically two parts of one, one referring to a system which judges souls.

Which was why it tried to hide its feelings, it tried to feign ignorance, and merely told Death, just like Death's other followers did, that her soul tasted sweet and would make a nice meal. In truth, however, it was not all it felt.

It still liked its master, and was resolved to remain loyal to him to the very end, yet at the time, it could not deny that it felt jealous of its master. Jealous, that it was Death who received the attention of God's daughter. Jealous that it was Death, who received attention, envious, that it was not the one who received affection. They may have never been able to embrace each other, thanks to his cursed touched which came about for the very reason that he had learned to feel emotions, yet the feelings they shared with each other, was something which it could not help but feel envious of, and even though things ended badly for its master, the silent wish which it had suppressed and ignored for a long time, still remained in its heart.

It wished it could have experience the same thing as its master. It wished it knew, it wished it could also experience what Death had experienced.

And now, as it watched the silver-haired girl in front of it, it was once again subject to that feeling. Except that this time, the stir was not coming from its master, who was destroyed and long gone.

The stir was coming from itself.

For her soul, in its opinion, was beautiful. It had a sweet scent, and even from the distance, it could tell that it will taste delicious.

However, this time, there was something different. In all its long life, it had devoured countless souls, yet the number of souls it considered beautiful could be counted on one finger. Yet none of them, not the soul of the brat who carried the seal to Death's body, not even the soul of God's daughter, its master's lover, had made it feel this way. For while it was true that it saw her soul as something tasty, it had felt something else, a much stronger emotion, which made it completely reject the idea, completely deny its instinct, of wanting to devour it.

And this was exactly how Death, its master, felt about God's daughter, the one he loved.

It knew that it could not just stand there and watch, however, it was a t its limit. It may have devoured it, it may have managed to destroy the main soul, but even though it was gone, a large portion of the curse and the black mud has not disappeared, for while it was true that the soul did not taste so bad, the curse around it tasted awful. The spread may have been satisfactory, but the bread that it was put on was rotten. Aside from that, with its connection to the realms of heaven, hell and purgatory gone, it could not simply cast what it has eaten away to those places like it has always done, and was forced to digest all of it, a continuous process that it was doing with distaste, yet it had no other choice.

It knew that it could just spit it out and save itself all the trouble, but if it did, it might lose the energy it needs to survive being surrounded by the cursed mud which it entered when it devoured the wayward soul, and its position might be reversed. Much as it hated the taste of the mud, it had to continue ingesting it, converting it into its own energy. For the first time in a long time, it wanted to live, at least long enough to make sure that the girl survived. However, with its abilities greatly diminished at the moment, it was not sure if it could even do that.

Here it was, having just found a reason to keep on living and it was going to lose it in the blink of an eye. It may not know exactly what was happening, but it knew, it could sense, that the girl was about to selflessly sacrifice herself for the boy, or rather, creature which it noticed, having followed the girl's gaze, one which, while its soul seemed human, could hardly be called human, for the body was slowly falling apart, being destroyed from the inside, by countless sharp metallic objects that were sprouting from it.

And at that moment, it knew, the reason why the girl was doing this. Why the girl was giving it her all, sacrificing everything she had, mind body and soul. It may not be fully familiar with the process used, but it knew enough, it had seen enough, to recognize a ritual when it saw one. The ritual was supposed to be a summoning ritual, one which was related to the manipulation of souls, only this time, the girl was using it in reverse, and instead of summoning, was doing the exact opposite. However, the price to pay for either would be the same, which would be the girl's soul.

It felt jealous, envious of the boy, yet there was nothing it could do. And it was helpless. With the weakened state it was currently in, there was nothing it could do to help her.

But no, it could not accept it, that this was the end for her. It hated the taste of the cursed energy, yet still, it was something it could use, and thus it quickened its pace, devouring the hateful substance, while fighting against the outside force the mud was exerting on it at the same time, as it was also trying to devour it. It knew it was a losing battle, even with the core of the curse gone, but it continued its struggle, and for the first time in a long time, it felt alive, truly alive, as it continued fighting against fate, not for its sake, but for her sake. It knew its effort was futile, yet it continued, it persevered, for the first time ever since it came its existence, it was praying, praying, to whatever force may be out there, praying even to God who it hated, for a miracle to happen.

"No, you won't disappear Ilya. I'll be damned before I let that happen."

Then, when it thought that all hope was lost, it appeared. The moment the girl's eyes closed, as it slumped unconscious to the cavern floor, having finished casting her enchantment, a figure, a tall tanned white-haired man clad in red appeared, and started walking in the direction of the red-haired creature some distance away.

For a moment, it could not help but feel surprised, for not only did it fail to sense it, the spectral entity that came from the girl, was eerily similar to the true forms of the seven damned fragments that it had fought against, as well as forced to fight alongside with later on, except that unlike said fragments, the spectre was not a skeleton and still held a completely humanoid form.

"Man, you're really quite a handful, you know that?" the white-haired spectre said in a mocking tone, as it looked down at the thing that was kneeling on the floor, not noticing the presence, its eyes widened, its mouth opened wide, in a silent scream, for it had already lost its voice, its hand outstretched, wishing for the girl to come back and stop what it was doing.

"Ilya, I can't believe you'd actually want to give your body to my idiot younger self. Don't worry though, that will no longer be necessary."

The spectre clad in red knelt down, and touched the boy's left arm. And in that instant, the growth of the sharp metallic objects stopped, as they started to recede, revealing a young man with red hair, which fell to the cavern floor, unconscious.

"There, I adjusted my arm so that it can fully integrate with your body. My arm will no longer be your curse... Tch. Much as I hate to admit it, to fight for the sake of those you truly love at the expense of not saving the majority, is something which I'll approve." The spectre admitted grudgingly.

"Consider it a gift from me. I'd like to say I wish you luck or I hope and pray you won't stray from this path, but with someone like Sakura keeping you busy all the time... Tch. Lucky bastard. I doubt you'll need it... Now then..."

"... Trace on..."

The spectre turned its back on the boy, and started walking towards the center of the magic circle once again, holding a small purple dagger with a zigzag shaped blade in its semi-transparent hand.

"Rule Breaker," the spectre whispered, before it brought the blade down, as gently as it could, allowing its tip to touch the silver-haired girl's skin.

And so it watched, as the circle glowed, and the part mud that had been trying to wrap itself around the girl's body withdrew, retreated, towards the place where it was located, and currently struggling against the same black mass, all of it retreating towards the portal.

"I guess this is goodbye then, Ilya. I'm sorry I cannot stay and watch over you," the spectre clad in red said sadly to the silver-haired girl, gently caressing her face. "Then again, you'll have reliable people watching over you, Rin, Sakura, Fuji-nee, so there's really nothing for me to worry about... If I were to hazard a guess though you'd probably end up looking after that idiot over there instead of the other way around."

Saying this, the tanned spectre smiled wryly.

"No, goodbye is probably not the right term to use. I will be gone in a sense, but this way, I will always be a part of you. Even if my consciousness will no longer be here, I will still be here to protect you. Unlike me and my younger self, you are a genius magus after all, and if you work hard enough, you might even be able to surpass me. My only hope is that you do not mistake the visions you see as your own. I certainly don't want to see you turn yourself into a clown and land yourself in the Throne of Heroes as I have."

"Tch. Though I guess that will be for you to decide."

Wearing that same cynical smile, the fading spectre began glowing, turning into a being of pure white light in humanoid form, before it changed its shape, wrapping itself around the silver-haired girl, before it vanished.

At least, that was how it would seem. Yet it knew what happened. To the eyes of a normal person, it would simply seem as if a light suddenly blanketed the girl before disappearing, yet to its eyes, what happened was different. For the spectre's soul, as it noticed, was already nearly destroyed at the start. Before it could completely vanish, however, that soul has used the last of its remaining energy, to transfer its essence, its power which was wrapped around the spectre's soul, to the girl.

True, it was not exactly happy about it, yet it could not help but feel thankful to the spectre for what it had done. For the girl's soul, as it noticed, was already detached from its body, and even without the mud forcing it, it was already moving towards the darkness it was in. After what the spectre had done, the soul had become stable once again. And to its relief, it realized that the spectre's presence had not merged with her soul, and merely wrapped itself around it, like a protective barrier.

_?!_

But it was too soon to celebrate, for the cavern they were in, it was collapsing. Of all the things which the red clad spectre must overlook, it just had to be this fact, and it could feel its anger rising. The young man, as it saw, was protected by some sort of barrier which, based from its signature, was created by the girl. Yet the girl was vulnerable, for she did not place one around herself. The only reason why it has not devoured the boy's soul was because the boy happened to be the person she wanted to save.

Moving as quickly as it could, it immediately rushed forward to cover the girl, taking the form of a hooded skeleton, one which it had gained by devouring the soul of two of the seven fragments. It did not want to use it, for not only was it an insult to its first wielder, the form belonged to Death's bitter enemies. However, it had no other choice, for it was the only way. Had it been in its original form, it would not have been able to break free from the cursed mud.

Or so it thought.

Yes, it did indeed manage to break free, and the moment it did, it immediately rushed to the girl, using its skeletal body to cover her from the debris. The next moment however, it realized that thinking the falling rocks were the only remaining threats was a grave mistake.

For the mud, it was stubborn. Even with its core gone, it still held on, like a leech, like a parasite, and refused to let go not matter what. Angered by this fact, it immediately turned one of its hands into a blade and cut the tentacle of darkness, but it was too late. The mud managed to drag it back, along with the girl that it was now carrying in its arms. And then, to make matters even worse, the portal closed, and now it and the girl was stuck, stuck in a limbo, with the wretched remnants made up of foul masses of sins and curses. For the girl's spell, whatever it was, had closed both pathways, both from the starting point as well as to the intended destination, and now they were stuck in the middle. The remains of the things it may have found easy to deal, yet getting stuck in the middle of it all with a girl was something it found hard to take.

For the girl, despite her powers, was still mortal, and without the sustenance of her mortal needs, she would die.

It did not know how much time had passed, yet to it, in that place where time cannot be told, whether it was years, months, days, hours, or even just minutes, it felt like an eternity. Yet it did not really matter to it, and as it continued struggling against the evils around it, it only had one thought in its mind: _protect the girl._

Had it been in the past, after the injustice God has shown to Death, it never thought it was possible, but for the second time after that, it was once again praying, praying, to its first wielder Death, to any deity, even to that cursed God, for help. But in that God-forsaken void between worlds, it knew that it was unlikely.

And yet, to its surprise, its second wish was granted. As it used up all of its remaining strength to fire a wave of destruction at the mass of black mud, a rip suddenly appeared in that endless and vast space. At first, it hesitated, not sure if it would be the right choice to make. The moment it saw that there were trees on the other side of the portal it created, however, it changed its mind.

Realizing this was its only chance, the hooded skeleton, carrying the girl in its arms, jumped through it, just in time, as in the next moment, the dimensional rip closed, leaving behind the furious mass of evil energy in that place where there was no escape.

And at the point in time, it knew, that the battle was over.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Months had passed since then, and everything seemed as peaceful as they could be. The girl, as luck would have it, has been adapted, picked up, with a stroke of fortune, by a caring individual.

It knew of course, it could tell, that the man was riddled with sin and guilt, having committed several atrocities in his lifetime, yet at his very core, he was actually nothing but kind. And so were the other people around her, and each one of them was different in their own way.

Still, in all its long life as a tool of the judge of souls, it had already seen several kinds of souls, and the souls it saw right now were not really any different. However, it had never really seen from this viewpoint before, for despite the long time it existed, it only ever focused on its meals, on its need to feed, on redeeming, condemning and destroying souls, based upon the standards and guidelines that had been instilled into it, or else, take a course of action on the souls it devoured based on the judgement of Death, its master. It may have been wielded by another, but Death was the only one which it had allowed to override its decision with his own views.

Now, however, now that it had lost most of its powers, now that it no longer had to perform its duties and responsibilities, it had been given the chance to see things from a different perspective, and what it found out made it wonder.

Before, it had never really bothered, nor did it really care, how a soul got into the state that it was in. All it did was devour and judge, devour and judge, and that was it. Now though, it could not help but feel interest in what it saw. For the souls of people, as it noticed, were always ever changing. Sometimes they were glowing, whenever they were thinking of or doing something righteous. Yet at other times, when they are thinking or doing unrighteous thoughts or actions, they become darker they become so black that the darkness was comparable to that of the mud that it fought, as well as that of the dark sorcerers that had served its true master, many of whom it was forced to cut down by its hated wielder.

And as it thought about things, even then, even those sorcerers, unlike the mud that it fought, there were times when their souls, even though they had given up half of it to Death, were also glowing. It never really paid that much attention to it before, but now that it had free time, it realized, that souls were not only fragile, they were also versatile, and ever changing, and as it delved further, there was never any truly pure soul.

It had seen righteous souls before, and it knew if a soul perfect, as its taste and scent was addictive to it, and the number of souls it had encountered which it can describe as such were rare and few. However, even then, there were times that even these souls, nearly pure as white was shrouded in darkness.

Nothing is pure black. Nothing is pure white. Everything is simply a shade of gray.

Every soul has light within them. Every soul contains darkness within them. Its shade of gray simply depends on which one the individual wished to manifest.

Perhaps this was the reason for the fall of its master, the fact that everyone has light and darkness within them. For the soul of Death, its master, as it recalled, acted in the same way as any normal soul. Sometimes it glowed, sometimes it was shrouded in darkness. Death may be as close to perfect as can be, but even he had this flaw. He was created to be an emotionless being that presided over souls, yet if he had not met God's daughter, if he had not learn how to feel emotions, even though his souls had become a truly deep shade of gray that it had become pitch black, it would have remained plain and bland, and the soul of Death, its master would never have glowed as brightly as it had seen whenever he was with the one he loved.

No, if it were to be a more correct description, God's daughter did not taught Death emotions, she simply helped him allow them to surface.

And if plain and lifeless, obedient and emotionless was God's definition of perfect, to it, it only proved to it that even God Himself was not perfect.

For the soul of the silver-haired girl it had saved, in its opinion, was as perfect a soul as it could wish it to be. The girl was a free spirit. True, there were times when she was glowed light and there were times when she was in a dark mood, but from these seeming flaws, only made her look more beautiful in its eyes. And as time passed, it only grew to like her more and more.

It wished to know her more. It wished that it could talk to her, to have a relationship with her, just as Death had with God's daughter.

Yet it knew, that what it wanted was an impossible dream.

It was not easy hiding its presence from her, seeing as the girl had sharp senses, yet it managed to do so, and for some time that was how things remained, and it contented itself with just being there, watching and observing her, from within her.

Until a certain incident occurred.

**xxxXXXxxx**

It was just like any normal sunny day. The world was bright, the sky was clear, and birds were happily singing from where they were perched on the branches of trees. And on that day, just like any other day, an eleven year old girl with silver hair was walking, humming merrily to herself, as she continued heading in the direction of the school. She did not make it there, however, for somewhere along the way, with the timing and precision of someone who was skilled at the task, the girl was ambushed and kidnapped.

Having sensed the danger to the girl, it, which had been sleeping at the moment, was awakened from its slumber. Sensing the evil that was coming from the soul of the one responsible, it immediately wanted to kill him, to slaughter him, to make him feel pain that unimaginable. Yet sadly, it did not have the power to do so.

For during its struggle against the great curse some time before, just as they escaped from the limbo, it realized, that the girl, had been hurt, fatally wounded, by the black mud, and had a gaping hole in her chest. Realizing there was no other way, it immediately sprung into action, and bonded with her, fusing its own life force with the girl, the girl, whose life it valued more than its own. However, this action came with a price. By fusing itself with her to heal her wounds, it had also, in the process, lost a large portion of its powers and abilities, and it was no longer able to manifest itself into the world to defend her. It thought that everything would be fine, that no danger would come, yet its hopes were wrong.

"This is so cool."

And now, she was helpless, trapped inside the hideout, in the mercy of a murderous, red-haired psychopath, who was humming to himself as he sharpened his knife, the remains of his other victims scattered all over the floor.

'_HELP ME!'_

The girl was crying, tears falling from her eyes, and even though her mouth was jammed shut, her soul desperately screamed for salvation.

Had it even just a small fraction of its original strength, it could have easily taken down the bastard. Yet it could no nothing. It wanted to, but there was nothing it could do. It could not save her.

But it could not accept that. There had to be something, something it could do to help her. Desperately, it tried to think of a way.

'Trace on...'

And then it remembered. The red-clad spectre's gift, his abilities, his final blessing for the girl. And aside from that, was its own abilities, which it knew must have transferred to her the moment they had merged.

If only she had access to it, if only she could use the abilities she had been given. Perhaps in the future she might be able to, yet at the moment she could not use it, and was therefore useless to her.

But maybe, just maybe, it could use it.

Yes, it remembered, how hard a time it had to heal the girl's body. For the extent of her injuries, the hole in her chest, had caused the remnants of that spectre's soul, which it had left behind to protect her, to do exactly the opposite. And just like with the young man, sharp metallic objects, which it now knew were blades, started coming out of her body in an attempt to heal her, and it took every bit of effort it had to heal the girl, a continuous struggle, to keep it from completely fusing with her, for fear of it completely overtaking her system.

And that power just might be what it needs.

Yes, it had indeed lost most of its abilities because of its ordeals, yet even though that was the case, it still had a bit of power left.

It was a gamble, that much it knew, yet it was one it was willing to take. Loosening the defences it placed, it finally allowed the coreless soul to merge with the girl, or rather, with it. Now that the girl's soul had healed, it decided to take a gamble and tried to gain access to the coreless and thoughtless spirit remains that had been left behind by the red-clad spectre. It knew that what it was doing was risky, but it had no other choice. Failure was not an option.

And then, it felt pain, great excruciating pain, as it felt that same sensation, the sensation of being ripped to shreds from the inside, and even though it was not physical, the pain was still there. It could feel the wind rushing through. It could feel sharp objects trying to escape. However, it knew that it could not give up, and so it persevered. After all, even though it was different, in its millennia of existence, it had experienced so many painful ordeals, and was therefore accustomed to it.

Soon, it managed to get past the metallic wind, and when it did.

It could not help but gape.

For now, it was standing in a hill of swords, with countless blades scattered everywhere. Immediately, having received knowledge, it understood, just what the spectre's power had been: the ability to create swords.

And indeed, it had to admit, that it was an impressive ability.

"Time to die, little girl."

However, now was not the time for it to think about it. For out in the real world, the girl was faced by the monster, that monster, which, despite still possessing a human soul, had evil within it that was comparable to that which is held by the followers of Death when its original master had lost his sanity, and was now advancing, knife in hand, as he licked his lips.

It knew it could not use the spectre's full ability, for it was something which it had not been born with, yet it learned enough, it could use enough.

It knew it would never gain the ability to Project Swords, no matter how it tried, for the spectre had been born with it. However, if there was one thing which it could do...

...it was to Project Itself.

"Yeah, this is so cool..."

Applying the spectre's craft which it learned mixed with its own, it found a way, to manifest itself once again in the real world.

And without remorse, without hesitation, without giving any time for the bastard to react, it struck, and in once swift motion, chopped off the psychopath's head, which fell off to one side, still wearing the smile that it had on at the thought of mutilating his victim.

Then, once it had done that, it immediately untied the girl, the girl, which was looking at it, with her wide ruby-red eyes.

For a moment, the two, human and weapon, stared at each other.

In truth, it had expected to be rejected. It knew of course, what the normal reaction should have been, and while it was prepared to accept it, it knew it would still hurt. After all, the culture of this world was different from the ones in its own. Humans, overall had remained the same. Yet in the place that it had come from, the form it took, which was that of a skeleton, a tall skeletal figure, holding a large scythe in one of its hands, was considered divine. Had it been in its all old world, the form it took would have caused people to kneel and worship him. However, in this world, having adjusted to the culture and technology by observing everything through the girl's eyes, it knew that a being of such form was considered fictional, a demon, a monster, that was to be feared. Instead...

Instead of fearing it, instead of running away from it, the girl, instead of being disgusted by its presence, of the blood, of the action it has taken, it ran towards it, and gave it a huge hug, and began crying in its arms, tears of gratitude falling from her eyes, whispering two words, two simple words, which touched it deeply...

"Thank you..."

For despite everything that happened, the girl accepted it... the girl accepted him.

And that had been enough to cement it, to cement their relationship, and now, it swore to itself, that it would serve and protect the girl, recognizing her as its new master, with undying loyalty.

**xxxXXXxx**

It had expected to die, to cease from existence, yet if it did not, it knew that fading away would have been a better option, for whatever its enemies had in store for him, would probably be even worse. Yet what happened to it, probably did not have anything to do with them at all.

Perhaps it was mistaken. Perhaps it was their plan along, yet as it thought about things, it knew it was highly unlikely for them to have anything to do with it. For what happened to it was something which it would have never expected to happen.

And yet, even though it was unexpected, it felt no regrets, and now, it has found a reason to keep on living again, and no matter what happens next, it swore, that it would do everything in its power to help her, to protect her, with everything it had.

For now, it had found its light, and it would never allow any harm to come to her.

"MASAMUNE! GET BACK OUT HERE AND RECEIVE YOUR PUNISHMENT, YOU STUPID ANNOYING SWORD!"

Although it had to admit, even though she was beautiful, even though her soul's scent was so sweet, she can have quite a temper at times, a temper, that would put even the wrath of its original wielder to shame.

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Now, this chapter is actually a bit of an explanation of how Yuki ended up where she was in the first place, and probably there will be some more chapters like this in the future. Of course, as you may have noticed, I am fond of using the person point of view after all.

Yes, this chapter pretty much entails the events of an alternate Heaven's Feel Route Ending. If you're read the novel, I'm sure you'd recall that Ilya sacrificed her soul to close the gate while sacrificing her body, giving it to Shirou. Well, in this story, a certain Counter-Guardian interfered and altered the course of events, although aside from said Counter-Guardian, there was something else added to the mix.

So to sum it up, Shirou did not lose his body, instead it was fixed by Archer, so Ilya did not lose hers either.

Well, that something else will become something/someone significant in this story, since it/he is Yuki's weapon after all.

And also, the first part of this chapter, shows the story of how the weapon in the previous chapter came to be in Yuki's possession. I know, not everything is explained yet, though as the chapters progress they will be. Technically, this is an alternate ending to the story of manga/anime, 07-Ghost, so for more information, you are welcome to visit the 07-Ghost wiki.

Yeah, and as for the weapon's identity, well here is the name: Verloren's Scythe, but Yuki, as you may have noticed at the end, gave it/him a name. Things will be elaborated further as the chapters progress, and I'll try my best to keep it as consistent as possible with canon facts although I will add my own. If you see errors, feel free to point them out.

Yeah, and for those who are still confused, here is a list of what the characters that appeared in this chapter are called in the anime.

God is the Chief of Heaven from 07-Ghost.

Death is Verloren.

God's daughter is Eve.

"It" is Verloren's Scythe/ now Masamune.

The seven fragments are the 07-Ghosts.

Red-clad spectre is Archer/Future Emiya Shirou from Fate/Stay Night.

The boy the girl wanted to save is Emiya Shirou.

Yuki is, although her name is not mentioned in this chapter, yep, I'm sure you've guessed it from the start, Yuki is Ilya from Fate/Stay Night.

Oh, and before I forget, the murderous psychopath is one of the supposed-to-be masters in the Fourth Holy Grail War, and he's the Master of Caster, or would have become if he did not get his head chopped off. I'm sure you already know who he is, and you already know what it means. A different Master means a different Servant.

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	8. Chapter 8

**********Important Notice:** Due to the many ideas, both major and minor, that I am borrowing/taking from different Anime/Book/Manga Series, like 07-Ghost, Get Backers, Rorouni Kenshin, and others, this story will now be moved to the crossover section.

* * *

******Disclaimer: **I do not own Fate/Stay Night, Tsukihime, Kara no Kyoukai, 07-Ghost, Get Backers and other Anime/Manga/Books etc. except for the plot I cooked up based from said Anime/Manga/Books etc. and is written purely for entertainment purpose only.

* * *

_I am the temple of my swords._

_Warm is my heart, yet frozen is my soul._

_I have chanted over a thousand prayers._

_Bringer of justice, defender of innocents._

_Protector of the ones I love._

_And so I trudge forward._

_This is a path I shall not regret._

_So aid me in my goal, I beseech you, aid me in my quest._

_Awaken from your slumber._

_My Sanctuary of Blades._

* * *

**CHAPTER 8**

Fujimura Yuki, age thirteen, an ordinary girl who is currently at the first year of her junior high education who had recently transferred to Asagami Private Academy in the town of Misaki.

The truth, however, is that she was not an ordinary girl. She was human, that much was true, but aside from being human, she had a secret, one which only Taiga, her sister, knew about. And that secret, is the fact that she had abilities that could only be called magic. However, her abilities was not something she was born with. It was something she had gained after an incident which occurred three years before.

She had always had a knack for sensing things that no one else could sense, but her other powers, as she knew, did not come from within her. Since the powers she had, was something that she learned, something that, in a way, had been taught to her by her partner, her partner, which happened to be a sentient weapon.

Had she not met her partner, Yuki would probably never have believed in the existence of the supernatural, in the existence of magic, and in fact, she probably would not have even had the chance to think about, since she would have died. After that particular incident however, in which she had been kidnapped and almost murdered, the silver-haired female had come to believe that magic does exist.

Masamune, it was the name which Yuki had given to the being that had saved her life, since he did not have any. When they had first met, his form was similar to that of a shinigami, or a grim reaper. Or rather, when he had first revealed himself. Yet as far as Yuki was concerned, to her, the monstrous creature was like a guardian angel

Even though he looked terrifying, Yuki had not been afraid of him. Masamune may look like a monster, yet for some reason, she was able to read his emotions, and all he wanted to do was to protect her. After all, Yuki never judged a person, or being for that matter, simply because of their appearance. Masamune saved her life, saved her from the clutches of the true demon who was disguised as a human, the murderer who had abducted her. That person was the one who Yuki had been truly afraid of. And thanks to Masamune, she was saved. And in the past few years, Masamune had been doing just that, taking the role of being Yuki's teacher, as well as protector.

Unlike a normal teacher-student relationship, or personal relationship for that matter, Yuki and Masamune never actually spoke directly to each other, not verbally, not even mentally.

No matter how hard Yuki tried to strike up a conversation, the sentient, shape-shifting weapon, which stayed in a mark on her right shoulder, never spoke a single word, either because he did not know how to speak, or did not want to speak, Yuki of course suspecting that it was the latter. Whenever Yuki asked a question, Masamune would either not answer, or if the question seemed relevant enough, the silver-haired female would get a vision as a response. In fact, his teaching method was also with the use of visions.

Ironically enough, even though one of the skills that had been taught to her by her partner was Memory Manipulation, she was, up till now, still unable to unlock her own memories, which could only imply two things: either the memories had been completely erased or they had been sealed, the culprit behind it, of course was glaringly obvious. Still, even if that was the case, Yuki knew that Masamune probably had his reasons if her second theory turned out to be correct.

Still, despite this compromise, the two of them had become rather close, almost like best of friends. Masamune may be the silent type, but whenever it felt that Yuki was in a situation which she could not handle by herself, or whenever Yuki wanted him to appear, he would materialize, either in his spectre form, or in the past few months, now that she had honed her own fighting skills, as a sword, Yuki's weapon of choice.

The sentient weapon never talked, but even then, Yuki had known him well enough to know exactly what emotion he was feeling, and it was through this method that the sword let its opinion be known, whether he approved or not, or whether he thought everything was fine or he it could sense a threat. Masamune had been with her for a while now, and, as crazy as it may sound, Yuki loved and saw the sentient weapon, not just as her family, but as part of herself, as part of soul.

"MASAMUNE! GET BACK OUT HERE AND RECEIVE YOUR PUNISHMENT, YOU STUPID ANNOYING SWORD!"

Of course, that did not stop Yuki from getting really angry with the sword whenever it did something that was out of line.

And right now, the sentient weapon had done something which had really ticked her off.

One of the regular expenses of the Fujimura household before was actually buying bamboo swords and shinai. However, this was not because the ones using them for training were too careless or too abusive of their practice swords. No, the real reason why they have such an expense in the first place... was because a certain someone was in the habit of destroying them whenever no one was looking, or at least when it thought no one was looking. Yuki could not understand exactly why, but for some reason, Masamune seems to dislike the presence of other weapons in their house.

However, aside from this habit, her sentient weapon had another little hobby which Yuki, must admit, nearly made her throw the sword down a river.

Yuki, in all honesty, was a good girl. Sure, she could be brutal and merciless to those she considered evil and does not see as friends, but when it comes right down to it, with the exception of the fact that she was a fighter, she was a kind and mature individual who cares for her grandfather, her sister, her daughter and the rest of the members of the Fujimura household. And generally, her image before she left was similarly the same as her true nature. An above average girl who excelled at most of the things she does, a girl who was kind yet fierce at the same time.

Half a year before, however, her image, while remaining in tact, had had an addition to it, an addition, which Yuki absolutely did not like. And that addition to her image, both in school and in her home... was that she was a pervert.

Yuki was not that kind of person, that was without a doubt. However, if people find magazine, books and movies with questionable content in them inside a person's room, in his bag, or under his desk at his school, what else would they think? But then, Yuki never had any interest in them. And to add to that, she was a girl. Well, it was true that there are girls into reading those kind of things, but she was certainly not among them. No, there was only one person, or being, who could have been responsible for it, and it certainly wasn't her older sister Taiga. Her older sister may enjoy doing pranks, but planting pornographic materials was not her style. No, there was only one culprit.

It was without a doubt her sword, Masamune.

Masamune could always leave Yuki's tattoo at will, and reading porn happened to be his favourite habit... and also watching them.

So far, Yuki had not found any more of those materials, although it might be because the sword was hiding them from her, since she was in the habit of burning his entertainment, literally.

Except for one...

Thus, Yuki was currently meditating inside of her room, locked and complete with a privacy spell cast on it, holding a mallet in her hands, waiting for the reaper to manifest itself, whatever weapon form it decides to take once it was flushed out. The silver-haired female may not be using her will to suppress the sword, but she can if she wanted to, either to force it to stay put, or force it to get out. It was a battle of wills, and Yuki was certainly not going to allow herself to lose.

Despite her anger and resentment at the sword's habit, despite the embarrassment that she had to endure because of it, despite her fury and jealousy at the fact that the sword was looking at other female's bodies and not her own (though Yuki will never admit it), despite the fact that she was affected, particularly her dreams, by those kinds of emotions that she felt coming from the sentient sword, Yuki had so far been tolerant of her partner's behaviour. In fact, she even tolerated the fact that orders of such immoral books and DVDs were sent to the Fujimura household in Yuki's name, however the sword managed to pull it off.

However, leaving the DVD player with that particular kind of movie running was something she could not allow to pass unpunished... not when the action caused the mind of Yuki's daughter, Sakura, to be corrupted by the unseemly video. It was only a coincidence and an accident that it happened, but it was still no excuse for Masamune's carelessness.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Zombies are among the most popular creatures which are used as the main 'source of terror' which are used in horror stories and movies. They are basically dead humans, or corpses, that are somehow resurrected into something akin to a monster, maintaining most of its motor function, yet continuing being a corpse, a rotten creature which is an abomination of nature. In the movies, there a number of various reasons as to their existence. They could be corpses reanimated using magic, a punishment from God or a curse from the Devil, or caused by some sort of infection or biological in weapons. In some movies, they retain their mind, but in most cases, they are mindless, walking creatures whose only instinct is to kill, kill, kill and kill.

No matter how scary the movies or stories happen to be, however, they are nothing but fictional creatures which do not exist in the world.

"Grrr…aaargh!"

Which is why, if most people were to meet one, they probably would not believe it, even if the truth of their existence stared them in the face. Just like in the movies, most people would panic, and their instinct would drive them to flee, to get away as far as possible from the vile creatures. Yet most of them do not get far, and are either devoured, or eaten by the living dead, or else, if their brains are left intact, they soon join their ranks, as part of the mindless undead.

"Darn it… just how many of these things are there?"

The brown-haired female wearing a striped shirt, however, was not most people.

"I'm not sure, Onee-san."

And neither was her younger sister.

Just like in the movies, there are also those who fight, who have the means to fight, and struggle against the monsters to the very end. Most of them, however, while capable, also only seek to flee, to break through and ultimately get away from the zombies. There are rarely any, save for main protagonists who either really strong or really lucky, or both, who would even think of charging the monstrosities head on.

Fujimura Taiga, and her sister Yuki, however, did exactly that, and now, they were presently in the back alleys of Misaki, facing off the undead, creatures which were only supposed to be found in movies. Yet, as the two of them realized, they were actually real… very real.

Still, they did not really have much of a choice, for the creatures had been following them around, especially at night. Taiga may not have the ability to sense anything magical, but her ability to sense danger and hostile intent in any form, was just as sharp as her sister's. Thus, every night, they had no choice but to make sure that they were not being followed home.

Back to back. That was always how she and Yuki had fought. It did not matter who or what, or how many they were facing, as long as there was a fight, they would fight together, and with the knowledge that it was the latter that was guarding their backs, even if the situation was dire, Taiga felt safe, knowing that her sister, the person who she trusted the most in the word, was the one who was fighting by her side.

"Grraa-AAAARGH!"

The living corpses lunged, four from both sides, each one moving at a speed that was beyond human, their fangs bare, instinctively aiming for their living targets' necks, their deathly impulse urging them forward to suck their victim dry. And in less than a second, they managed to cover five meters, and they were now upon their victim.

Or so the zombies thought, that is, if they had the ability to think. Instead, the undead that charged were defeated, all eight falling to their knees, while their heads rolled off to one side, four of which having their heads chopped off by Taiga's sword, while the other four had been decapitated by her younger sister.

Seeing this, the older Fujimura sister could not help but smirk in triumph.

_They're fast, but they are nothing but mindless beasts,_ thought Taiga smugly._ Fighting them is even easier than fighting those weakling thugs from the Kaito Group._

"Onee-san, don't let your guard down!"

_?!_

Taiga's moment of peace was only short lived, however, as now, the rest of the living corpses, around a couple of dozen of them, were now charging towards them.

Admittedly, the zombies were indeed fast, much faster than how they were depicted in the movies. However, just like in the movies, they react purely on impulse, without the ability to think… which makes their strength and speed useless, since their movement was too easy to predict.

This time, however, they were attacking in great multitude, and it was like facing an oncoming avalanche from all directions. Even with all her skill, Taiga knew it would be a pain to avoid getting bitten... something which would be fatal, or even worse than fatal, as she had seen what happens to those who received even the most minor of injuries from the undead beings. However, she was not worried, because her younger sister was with her.

"The Lord giveth life, the Lord giveth hope, so long as the Lord is with me, I shall know no fear."

Suddenly, multitude of corpses, which were only a couple of feet away from them, were all thrown backwards, as a wall of black text which were emitting a bright blue aura encircled the two females.

Runes, or as her younger called them, Zaiphon.

_Darn, that really is useful, it's a shame I can't learn it, _the brown haired female thought somehow bitterly. The reason she was feeling bitter, however, was not because she was jealous of her sister, but because if she had it, she would have been able to protect her sister better.

Thus, by the end of hour, the legion of undead, about four dozen of them in all, were burning in a funeral pyre, a large funeral pyre, which turned them into ashes, as well as the old abandoned building which served as the battlefield… or place of slaughter, depending on perspective.

**xxxXXXxxx**

Worry. That was the emotion which Fujimura Yuki, the younger sister of Fujimura Taiga, could read off her sister's face. Given the circumstances they were in, however, it really came as no surprise. The two of them were presently naked in a bath tub, taking a nice hot bath to remove the grime and soot from their bodies. The two of them were quiet, both of them consumed by their own thoughts, instead of their usual sisterly fighting and bickering, as they tried to think about the future that lay ahead of them.

In the past few days, despite her sister maintaining her cheerful and happy-go-lucky outlook on the outside, Yuki could easily tell that it was a fake, that it was nothing but a façade. Knowing about the existence of magic, zombies, and natural things was one thing. Knowing that they were deliberately coming after you and your family, however, was a different matter altogether. And it was this particular suspicion which made it difficult for the two sisters to fall asleep at night. Had it not been for the fact that Yuki had placed a barrier around their house, they probably would not have been able to get any at all.

Wars. From the visions which had been shared to Yuki by her partner, Wars were originally human, humans who made a deal with Kor, winged creatures which served the God of Death, Verloren, which would grant the wish of their contractor, in exchange for their body. Once the third wish was granted, the Kor would take over the corrupted soul and body of the host, thus turning them into something similar to the undead. At least, that was according to a legend which Yuki learned about from her sword.

According to Masamune, however, the creatures which they were presently fighting were not Wars, and were something else entirely.

The story of Creation, it was one of the stories which Masamune, Yuki's partner, shared with her through her visions along with teaching her his brand of magic. But due to Masamune not sharing everything he knows, having shown her only bits and pieces that were relevant for her to learn the prayers, Yuki only had a vague idea of the story behind it.

Still, according to the information which her partner had been willing to share, the Wars were creatures closest to the one which they were recently fighting. Unlike Wars, however, which had a soul that was a fusion of the human's and the demon which contracted it, the corpses Yuki had been fighting were not only much weaker in terms of strength: they were also without souls. Even though the body of a Wars was dead, it technically still contained a soul. The Wars-like creatures which Yuki and her older had been slaying in the past week, however, no longer had one, and were nothing but shells, empty husks, that were either moving on their own or else, as Yuki suspected, were being manipulated by magic or whatever means by someone from afar, like puppets on strings.

However, despite being weaker, that did not make the zombies, as she and Taiga decided to call them, any less dangerous. True, they were weaker, but unlike Wars, they seem to be able to increase in number much more quickly, and while they had not yet seen had they managed to do so, Yuki and her sister had been careful not to get bitten, as they suspected that the undead were able to increase their numbers through infection.

"Yuki?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you think we made the right decision, leaving Fuyuki, I mean? Well, it was grandfather who suggested it, but even still, we were the ones who agreed to it."

"Why are you asking me that now?"

"It's just that ever since we moved here, nothing seemed to be going right at all. The school, the people, I don't really understand it myself, but from what I can tell, even without those things after us, it seems to me that we are not welcome here. I know it's for Sakura's sake, but why did we end up moving here? Why couldn't it have been somewhere else?"

"..."

Yuki did not know how to answer her older sister's question. It was the first time, as far as she could remember that she had seen the Tiger of Fuyuki like this, curled up on her knees in the bathtub, with the look air of a depressed and helpless kitten.

On one hand, Yuki could not help but agree with her sister. Admittedly, she too, had been feeling homesick. She missed Fuyuki, her friends and family, as well as her classmates, who, as far as she could tell, were real people, unlike the machine-like entities who she had for classmates in her current school.

On the other hand, if they remained in Fuyuki, there was a chance that Sakura would be recognized, and there was no way Yuki would allow her daughter to be taken back by those monsters who pose as her family.

And aside from that, if they did not transfer to Misaki, she would never have found out about the problems that was plaguing the town. Yuki hated the fact that her family was in danger because of their decision, but a part of her, while she will never admit it, she was glad that she discovered it. For here was her chance, her chance to save people who are in danger, a chance to stop a potential catastrophe from occurring. The unknown enemy or enemies were being discreet, but even if they were avoiding the limelight, their very existence was causing the death of innocent people, something which Yuki could not a turn a blind eye to.

Although now she was half-wishing she simply turned away.

A part of her was telling Yuki that there was nothing to regret, but another part of her was telling her otherwise. Thanks to the fact that she got involved, thanks to the fact that she had saved that woman on that night, she had now become a target for whoever was behind it, and in turn, she was putting her family in danger.

Every single day, as a consequence, Yuki had no choice but to take different routes home, just to make sure that she was not being followed... or rather, to make sure that she eliminated whatever it was that was following her so that it could not follow her home. She informed her sister of this matter, who opted to accompany her as well, but it still wasn't easy dealing with the enemy's spies, which could take many forms, either a bird, a cat, a dog, and at night, whenever they went home after dark, they would find that one or two of those human corpses was following them.

The two of them were actually thinking of telling their bodyguards about it, but they knew that it was unlikely that they would be believed. Besides, as Yuki contemplated, it was for the best that they know nothing, and that they focus their attention on protecting Sakura.

Her family... thanks to her impulse to do help other people, Yuki had now placed her precious people in a dangerous situation, and she could not help but feel that it was all her fault.

And yet, even though it was all her fault, her older sister Taiga had not once blamed it for it, and in fact, just like family, chose to continue to stay by her side... something which made the guilt Yuki felt feel even worse.

"What do you-AAARGH! MY EYES! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!" The older Fujimura sister suddenly screamed.

"Ooops. Sorry Onee-san. My hands slipped." Yuki stated in mock apology, as she watched her sister rubbing one of her eyes with amusement, which had been hit directly by shampoo that had been 'accidentally' squeezed from the tube which she was currently holding in her hands.

"WHY YOU! I'M GOING TO GET YOU FOR THAT!"

Still, if there was one thing Yuki could do, it was to try and distract her sister, as well as herself, from thinking about their predicament, even for a moment. And now, as she evaded the bar of soap that was hurled at her by her sister Yuki could not help but smile.

_It seems like she's back to normal, for now at least, _thought the silver-haired female to herself, as she and her sister both reached for the nearest items they could get their hands on, with every intention of using said items to bring the other to their knees.

**xxxXXXxxx**

In the back of a farm truck that was currently moving through the countryside, a man, who was wearing a grey jacket with white stripes was currently lying down on a pile of hay, his head, covered with a hood, as he slumped to one side, doing his best to endure the pain he was feeling.

However, the pain, which Matou Kariya was feeling at the moment, was not one which was caused by the Crest Worms in his body. In fact, as far as he could tell, his physical condition, surprisingly enough, had been improving in the past little while. Apparently, the Worms had now fully acknowledged Kariya, and instead of causing him pain, despite feeding off on his mana, were actually healing him physically. No, the reason why he was in pain was due to the conflicting emotions in his heart.

It had been a few days since then, since he had first left Fuyuki and set out towards his destination. During that time, he had been hitching rides in vehicles who, conveniently, all turned out to be nice people, and all of them were kind enough to let him ride with them, not judging him for how he looked and they even shared their food with him, that there was no need to hypnotise them into obeying. Currently, he was riding with an old couple, both of whom, as he noticed, were nothing like his old man who had recently kicked the bucket.

He remembered that rainy day, when he had collapsed on the streets. At the time, he thought his life was over, that he was going to die for sure. And yet, he had survived, his life saved, by a monk who lived in the Ryuudou Temple, where he had been brought and nursed back to health, without prejudice, without partiality. True, they had been suspicious and worried about how he had gotten into such a state, but the chief monk did not delve, did not pry in further, when he refused to tell his story, after saying that it was a personal matter.

The monks, for their actions of good will, had earned Kariya's respect and gratitude. And it was for this reason that he decided to leave immediately, not wanting cause them trouble or put their lives in danger. Knowing his grandfather, Kariya was sure that the old worm would probably slaughter the virtuous monks if they found out about the Matou methods... something which the old man would no longer be able to do.

For Matou Zouken... was dead. When the head monk told him that the Matou mansion was destroyed, Kariya was surprised, and in fact, sceptical. The mansion, after all was literally a fortress, one which was protected by several enchantments that if activated, could ward off most assaults, and it was even sufficient, according to the records, to delay or badly injure a Servant.

And yet it was destroyed, reduced to nothing but a rubble, and the young man whose hair had turned white because of excessive self-abuse of his body through magecraft, had seen it with his own two eyes.

Instead of feeling joy at the fact however, Matou Kariya, who should have been happy of the news of the demise of his despicable grandfather and brother, was enraged. For according to the news, the people who were in the mansion at the time, including Matou Byakuya, Matou Shinji...

... and Matou Sakura.

And thus, the infuriated man, despite the fact that he was still recovering, despite knowing full well that he would not stand a chance, headed towards the Tohsaka Manor, intending to kill the person who was responsible for the incident. In Kariya's mind, he knew that there was only one person who was capable enough of infiltrating and casting a powerful enough Fire Spell to destroy a fortress like his hellhole of a home, none other than Tohsaka Tokiomi, the man who abandoned his daughter, all because of stupid magecraft.

Yet, when he got there, instead of seeing a cruel, cold-hearted magus who would do anything for the sake of his pathetic dream of reaching Akasha, Matou Kariya instead, found a complete stranger.

When he charged at the Tohsaka Mansion, Kariya expected to find a fortress, one which would undoubtedly fire of its fatal machinations at an intruder. Instead, he found a drunkard, a broken man, wandering its yard without a care for the world, talking to loudly to himself, dancing around like a lunatic as he drank his booze. It did not take long for Kariya, to know exactly what happened.

Apparently, Tohsaka Tokiomi was innocent, and had nothing to do with the Matou Mansion incident whatsoever, this much Kariya was able to confirm. But aside from that, by listening to the man's drunken rambling, he found out something else...

_..._

"_Sakura... she was supposed to become the heir to the Matou family, to become a great magus who will not be overshadowed by her sister. She was supposed to get the opportunity I am duty-bound to never be able to give her. I thought I was doing what was best for them. Why? Why did this have to happen. I am a failure as a magus. I am a failure as father. Damn it all!"_

_..._

Kariya had thought the man as heartless. He thought Tokiomi was a monster. Yet in the end, he realized the man was just as human as he was. A man, who had a heart. He did not want to accept it, but at that moment, Kariya realized that while what the man did was to literally place his second daughter to hell, he thought that what he was doing was for the best, partly as a magus, but the person who Kariya saw, was not a magus... but a father. A father who loved his family, yet was conflicted due to being a magus at the same time, and his attempt to balance his two personas was what led to him making mistakes, what led to his personal tragedy, as well as the tragedy of those around him.

For as he listened further, Kariya discovered that something else happened: After learning of Sakura's death, Tohsaka Tokiomi has been divorced by his wife Aoi, and she took Rin along with her.

At that point time, Kariya was stunned, and did not know what to do. Here in front of him, was the man who he hated even more than his own grandfather, the man who was the cause of all the pain and misery of people he cared about, weak and defenceless. In the state he was in, the Worm user knew it would only be too easy to kill him.

However, Kariya decided not to. Not because he did not want to kill him, but because killing Tokiomi was actually more merciful than allowing him to continue his existence.

At least, that was what Kariya tried to tell himself, yet in truth, the real reason why he spared the man was because, even though Kariya would never admit it to himself, he now understood that the man was not a complete monster as he had originally thought. His actions, while influenced by the fact that he was a magus, were driven just as much by his love for his family. He could not let go of his despicable traditions, yet despite this fact, he had done his best, at least from his own perspective, to try and be a father who does not show favouritism, even though his attempt failed miserably.

Thus, Kariya decided to leave him be, allowing fate to decide what would happen to the husk of the once proud magus, while he, Kariya, decided to take his own life. He might want to see Aoi, he might want to know if they were doing fine, but when it comes right down it, he knew he would not find the courage to face them, not when he had failed to save Sakura, who the man truly saw and loved like his own daughter.

Thus, suicide was his only option to seek penance, and it was exactly what he would have done... had it not been for one simple action on his part: fumbling in his pockets.

When he tried to look in his pockets for a cigarette, to have one last smoke before he threw himself to hell, it was at that time that he realized that the coat he was wearing was not his own. Apparently, during his stay at the Ryuudou Temple, the good Samaritans changed his clothes. And instead of finding his lighter or a pack of cigarettes, he found things belonging to a high school student. A pen, erasers with cheating notes in them... and a picture.

Nothing would have changed Kariya's mind on his decision of taking his own life, as he no longer had anything left to live for... except for that picture.

For in that picture, was a girl, a thirteen year old girl, with silver hair and ruby red eyes, the exact description, as he only remembered Zouken talking about it too well, of an Einzbern homunculus. However, it was not that girl which had caught Kariya's attention, but rather... the smaller girl who was walking beside her.

Yes, Kariya thought that she was dead, that somehow, during his long slumber, the despicable head of the Matou family somehow managed to track down Sakura and brought her back home before the mansion was attacked. However, when he looked at the photograph... there was no doubt about it. The girl who was walking beside the silver-haired female, with her black hair and aqua-colored eyes, Kariya could not be mistaken...

The girl in the photograph... was his adoptive niece, Sakura.

Thus, Matou Kariya, who had lost all hope, found it rekindled: he still had something left to do. He still had something left to live for.

And as the truck he was hitching a ride in continued on its way on the winding road, Kariya's gaze would move to and fro, from the picture of his adopted niece, to the page of the diary which belonged to Ryuudou Reikan, where along with his laments and indirect self-confession of being a stalker, was the information which Kariya needed.

"Fujimura Residence, Number 326-9778, Misaki," the man whispered to himself, the image of the young girl who he had dedicated his entire being into saving not once leaving his mind._ Don't worry, Sakura. Uncle Kariya is coming to save you..._

Yes, the man was determined to save her niece no matter what. However, if there was one thing which Matou Kariya failed to notice... it was the fact that the girl in the picture...

...was actually smiling.

**xxxXXXxxx**

**To be continued...**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Now, I suppose I don't really have much to say here, except that I would recommend that you read or at least watch the 07-Ghost Anime, since it is the basis for some of the additions I made in this fic. There will probably be no characters from the 07-ghost Universe except one, but the concepts of abilities will be used quite frequently.

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


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